Bill Text: NJ AJR219 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Encourages young people to participate in elections and vote.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-17 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [AJR219 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-AJR219-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Encourages young people to participate in elections and vote.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution encouraging young people to participate in elections.
Whereas, Voting is a fundamental right that generations of United States citizens have struggled to win and to protect, and it is a right that many people in other countries are still fighting for today; and
Whereas, Despite the excitement that young Americans show through their civic activism, the vast majority of them have yet to fully exercise their voting power, a collective power that is continually below that of voters in other age groups; and
Whereas, While voters between the ages of 18 to 24 make up a sizeable proportion of the U.S. electorate, this group consistently neglects to make their voices heard at the polls to their full potential; and
Whereas, The voter turnout of those between 18 and 24 years of age peaked in 2008 when 44 percent turned out to vote, but fell just a few years later in 2014 to only 19 percent, and was just 36 percent in the 2018 elections; and
Whereas, Meanwhile, voters who are aged 65 and above consistently have comparatively higher voter turnouts, ranging from 59 percent in 2014 to 66 percent in 2018; and
Whereas, Voter turnout by 18- to 24-year-olds in New Jersey increased from 11 percent in the 2014 midterm election to 33 percent in the 2018 election, while voter turnout by voters 65 years old or older was 49 percent and 57 percent, respectively; and
Whereas, To realize their full voting strength as a collective, this State should support and encourage young voters to learn about important issues, to educate themselves about candidates, and to then vote in all elections, including general, municipal, school board, special, and primary elections; and
Whereas, Encouraging young voters to register to vote, to increase their participation in all elections, and to take action through voter education programs, volunteering as poll workers, and encouraging their peers to also be engaged is of paramount importance for the health and strength of this State and for American democracy; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Governor and the Legislature hereby encourage 18- to 24-year-olds to participate in elections.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Independent Colleges and Universities for New Jersey, and the New Jersey School Boards Association.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This resolution encourages young people 18 to 24 years of age to participate in elections.
Voting is a fundamental right that generations of United States citizens have struggled to win and to protect, and it is a right that many people in other countries are still fighting for today. Despite the excitement that young Americans show through their civic activism, the vast majority of them have yet to fully exercise their voting power, a collective power that is continually below that of voters in other age groups. While voters between the ages of 18 to 24 make up a sizeable proportion of the U.S. electorate, this group consistently neglects to make their voices heard at the polls to their full potential. The voter turnout of those between 18 and 24 years of age peaked in 2008 when 44 percent turned out to vote, but fell just a few years later in 2014 to only 19 percent, and was just 36 percent in the 2018 elections. Meanwhile, voters who are aged 65 and above consistently have comparatively higher voter turnouts, ranging from 59 percent in 2014 to 66 percent in 2018.
Voter turnout by 18- to 24-year-olds in New Jersey increased from 11 percent in the 2014 midterm election to 33 percent in the 2018 election, while voter turnout by voters 65 years old or older was 49 percent and 57 percent, respectively. To realize their full voting strength as a collective, this State should support and encourage young voters to learn about important issues, to educate themselves about candidates, and to then vote in all elections, including general, municipal, school board, special, and primary elections. Encouraging young voters to register to vote, to increase their participation in all elections, and to take action through voter education programs, volunteering as poll workers, and encouraging their peers to register to also be engaged is of paramount importance for the health and strength of this State and for American democracy.
