Cap, Gown, and Ballot
Registration as part of celebration
As nearly half a million new high school graduates cross the stage this year in California, fewer than half are likely registered to vote.
Get the flyer here.
That statistic may come as a surprise to many parents, students, and educators. After all, part of the mission of public education is to prepare young people to participate in our democratic system. Thanks to Motor Voter laws in many states, the path to participation is clear: students can pre-register to vote starting at age 16, and they’re automatically offered the opportunity if they apply for a driver’s license.
It isn't working very well, especially in California. In 2022, only about 13% of California’s 16- and 17-year-olds were pre-registered, according to The Civics Center, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that has made youth voter registration a priority.
Why students are being missed
Motor voter is not enough
Many students miss this voter pre-registration opportunity. For example, those who apply for a learner’s permit before they turn 16 are not offered voter pre-registration. Compounding the issue is a growing trend: fewer young people are getting driver’s licenses. In 2024, USA Today reported that only about 40% of the country’s 21.4 million 15- to 19-year-olds had a license—and the number is still dropping.
This contributes to a perception gap: Many assume that high school graduates are registered to vote. This is wrong.
Young people eligible to vote consistently have the lowest registration rates of any age group. About half of California teens who obtain a driver’s license choose to opt out of registering to vote. Teens register to vote at rates so low that polling tends to simply ignore them.
Plainly, some work is needed.
There are bright spots.
Voter registration rates vary from school to school. For example, in the El Segundo Unified School District in Los Angeles County, 8 out of 10 high school graduates were registered to vote in 2024. But districts like this are the exception, not the rule. According to research assembled by the Pew Charitable Trusts, most schools and school districts do little or nothing to help young people register to vote before graduation.
That’s unfortunate because the potential impact of youth voter registration is enormous. In 2020, among those aged 18 to 24 who were registered to vote 86% followed through by casting their ballot. Voter participation among young citizens lagged behind older voters mainly because so few eligible young people were registered in the first place.
High schools should drive voter registration. Here’s how.
To help communities boost registration, The Civics Center offers free, nonpartisan programs to support high school student leadership in voter registration drives. Their “Democracy in a Box” and related free resources for educators can make holding a voter registration drive straightforward and fun. In the spring of 2025, the organization's Cap, Gown and Ballot campaign offered $150 gift cards to students who help organize participation.
Local PTAs and PTSAs can be vital partners in these efforts.
Research shows that voting habits begun in adolescence often last a lifetime. The California State PTA has long supported nonpartisan civic engagement and participation. For example, PTAs in high schools are actually organized as PTSAs — the "S" stands for "Student". Students can serve in officer roles in PTSAs, and take leadership in the organization's role in civic life. In its 2020 Position Statement “Voting,” California State PTA affirms the importance of “fostering voting habits early in life and cultivating a habit of lifelong voting.”
The California State PTA offers useful resources related to voter registration for students and adults.
Civics is personal
Graduation is a milestone worth celebrating—and a perfect opportunity to help students take their first step into civic participation as voters. Local PTAs and PTSAs can play an influential role in ensuring that our graduates are not only ready for college and careers but also ready to vote. Let’s make sure caps and gowns go hand in hand with ballots.
Mary Perry has served many leadership roles in the California State PTA including the Climate Ready Schools Coalition. She previously worked as Deputy Director of EdSource and then as an independent education consultant, helping to explain education policy, data, and research to a wide range of education stakeholders, including parents and student leaders.
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