Solving the Youth Voting Gap: Adopting School-Based Voter Education in the Hawai’i Department of Education
Jethro C. Bumanglag
Introduction
Generation Z represents a growing portion of the electorate in Hawai’i, with more than 114,000 eligible to vote in the 2026 elections.¹ Despite this, young people vote at lower rates than older demographics. In the 2024 November general election, 36 percent of voters aged 18 to 24 in Hawai’i cast a ballot, compared to 54 percent and 68 percent of voters aged 45 to 64 and ages 65 and older, respectively.² According to one study, low youth turnout can be attributed to a lack of information, educational inequities, and logistical challenges—such as difficulties filling out registration forms.³
In order to increase the youth vote and make voting more accessible, the Hawai’i State legislature and the Hawai’i Department of Education (HIDOE) should adopt voter education policies in the classroom.
Background
About 31 percent of young adults cited insufficient time or information, and 24 percent reported “not feeling motivated enough” as their main reasons for not voting.⁴ For youth struggling financially, these barriers are even more acute. In Hawai’i, the high costs of living force low-income young adults to work long hours, navigate housing, and prioritize family responsibilities. These stressors reduce the time and resources to properly register and cast a ballot.
In response to low youth turnout in elections, the Hawai’i State legislature has adopted several measures. In 1993, Governor John D. Waihe’e III signed Senate Bill 280 into law, which provided voting preregistration to eligible individuals “at least six-teen years of age.”⁵ During a committee hearing, the Hawai’i League of Women Voters testified for a provision that would permit outreach to “students in private and public schools.” However, the current Hawai’i statute doesn’t mandate voter education and outreach to high school students. As a result, HIDOE students from public schools are less likely to register and vote compared to peers from private schools.
In addition, civics education in the HIDOE is often treated as a lower priority than subjects like mathematics and the English language, reinforcing the perception that participating in civic life is less important. 68 percent of teachers feel civics education is “somewhat of or a low priority” in their schools, and 46 percent cite students’ insufficient background knowledge as a major challenge to teaching civics in the classroom.⁶ By creating widespread, standardized voter outreach policies in the classroom, the state can reduce the informational barriers that affect youth from low-income and immigrant households.
Recommended Action
In response, youth must be educated on voter registration and preregistration through state-level action. Policymakers should consider the following strategies to increase electoral participation and long-term democratic engagement:
Mandate standardized voter education in public high schools: Access to voter registration and preregistration information varies widely by HIDOE schools. Establishing a baseline can ensure all students receive accurate, nonpartisan information at a consistent point before they become eligible voters.
Integrate information into existing coursework and school programming: The HIDOE requires a “Participation in a Democracy” elective for High school graduation.⁷ To avoid concerns regarding additional instructional mandates for the HIDOE, voter education should be embedded into existing civics or enrichment programs.
Establish a statewide “High School Voter Education Week”: States like Michigan and California have designated certain weeks in the school year as voter education weeks. Implementing a similar measure could streamline outreach efforts between schools and county election officials.
Recruit young, paid election workers: One study found that youth poll worker programs demonstrate increased turnout and engagement.⁸ Expansion of paid opportunities for youth can reduce financial barriers and foster the likelihood of future voters. Additionally, recruiting youth election workers can alleviate prior staffing shortages at voting service centers in the state.
Allow students to attend Civic or Political Events: Strict attendance policies in the HIDOE can unintentionally discourage civic engagement. Permitting at least one excused absence per school year for approved civic activities would remove logical barriers and recognize civic learning outside the classroom.
These types of policy changes are likely to work because they leverage existing infrastructure at a low cost. Other states like Maryland and Michigan have adopted similar school-based voter education policies. These states show results: they have the highest youth registration and turnout rates in the country.⁹
Conclusion
To adopt voter education policies in Hawai’i, it would require passage in the Hawai’i State legislature and the governor’s signature. Despite the Hawai’i legislature's Democratic supermajority, only 10 percent of introduced bills become law due to a rigorous five-month lawmaking process.¹⁰ Therefore, legislation requires support from key committee chairs on the Education and Finance committees, where several civic education bills stalled during the previous sessions.¹¹ Fortunately, in addition to research supporting increased youth registration and turnout, proposals with minimal fiscal impact and administrative flexibility are more likely to secure a committee hearing.
By prioritizing voter education and making information widespread, students from low-income and immigrant households gain clearer pathways to participate in the democratic process. For young people, the classroom is their first exposure to voting, helping eliminate barriers related to time and information. Therefore, these policies can create greater democratic access for younger voters, who have been a historically underrepresented but valuable voting bloc.
References
Megan Tagami, “Young Voters Want to Make Themselves Heard in Hawaii — but They Don’t Always Know How,” Honolulu Civil Beat, July 12, 2024, https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/07/young-voters-want-to-make-themselves-heard-in-hawaii-but-they-dont-always-know-how/.
U.S. Census Bureau, “CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY, NOVEMBER 2024 VOTING SUPPLEMENT FILE TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION CPS-24,” 2024, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/techdocs/cpsnov24.pdf.
Sam Searles, Katie Hilton, and Alberto Medina, “Barriers and Hardships: Why Some Youth Didn’t Vote in 2024,” Tufts.edu, July 31, 2025, https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/barriers-and-hardships-why-some-youth-didnt-vote-2024.
Searles et al. “Barriers and Hardships: Why Some Youth Didn’t Vote in 2024.”
Michael Mcdonald and Matthew Thornburg, “Registering the Youth through Voter Preregistration,” NYU Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, November 2012, https://www.nyujlpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Michael-P.-McDonald-Matthew-Thornburg-Registering-the-Youth-Through-Voter-Preregistration.pdf.
Colin Moore, “From Classroom to Community: Advancing Civics Education in Hawai’i” (Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education, February 2025), https://www.civicshawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PACE-Civics-Survey-Full-Report.pdf.
Hawai'i Public Schools, “PARTICIPATION in a DEMOCRACY Anchor Standard Grades 9-12 Inquiry Standards,” n.d., https://hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/Social%20Studies/HCSSSdemocracy.pdf.
Ruby Belle Booth, “Youth Poll Worker Programs Are a Key but Underused Way to Grow Voters,” circle.tufts.edu, August 16, 2022, https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/youth-poll-worker-programs-are-key-underused-way-grow-voters.
U.S. Census Bureau, “Current Population Survey.”
Chad Blair and Matthew Leonard, “Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Introduce a Lot of Bills. See Whose Pass — and Fail,” Honolulu Civil Beat, October 10, 2025, https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/10/hawaii-lawmakers-introduce-a-lot-of-bills-see-whose-pass-and-fail/.
Richard Wiens, “Everyone Loved Civic Education Bills. The Legislature Killed Them Anyway,” Honolulu Civil Beat, July 23, 2023, https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/07/everyone-loved-civic-education-bills-the-legislature-killed-them-anyway/.