The Power of the Youth Vote - July 2025 Newsletter

A toolkit is useless without knowing how to use the tools.

Many teenagers don’t realize the value of the opportunities that surround them, and in a world full of twists and turns, and political upheaval, utilizing all possible tools to stay on track is more important than ever before. Now, the expectation that someone will be able to do something without any instructions on how to do it is completely absurd, but these assumptions plague our political system.

A tool important to all of our citizens, often overlooked, underutilized and frankly, unappreciated is the power to vote. The importance of voting is imperative for a democratic society to thrive, a country for the people–by the people–is understood by all, the core foundation to advocate for change and reform issues of public concern. The history of voting and civic engagement is intertwined in the history books from progressive era regulations on a rapidly industrializing nation to the civil rights protests. Each event has had a lasting impact and change on our society and has been accomplished through times of strong civic engagement and action in communities across the nation, a stark reminder of what a democratic society can achieve when there is active participation and leaders to advocate for change.

Yet, over the decades as reform changed a tumultuous country into one that has almost fully forgotten the woes and tribulations that those before us once had to endure, the level of civic engagement has fallen.

Since the 1970s the rate of civic engagement has continued to decline and has been observed significantly in the youth population. This trend is paralleled in historically low civic knowledge, however, that is a story for another time. What we have been seeing, simply put, is a decline in a civically engaged citizenry all the more highlighted by the recent NJ school elections where the voter age was lowered in Newark to include sixteen and seventeen year olds yet the turnout for this age group was not at all high at a mere 4% with only 71 of the 1,796 newly eligible teens going out to the polls to cast their ballots. Low turnout for local elections are generally low, however, the expectation was high for these teens to go out and vote but, the reality is that without the proper instruction and the assurance of the power they wield with their vote, low turnout shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. However, this can all be flipped upside down. The key to increasing civic engagement may be to open the door to more opportunities to learn about how to be civically engaged and reassuring youth about the importance of their vote and community service as described by Philip Alberti PhD and founding director of the Center for Health Justice at the American Association of Medical Colleges. But how can this be achieved? From increasing classroom curriculum or expanding school programs to introducing civic opportunities outside of school the ways to educate, reassure, and foster a generation of civically engaged youth is endless. One such outstanding program that can truly be the catalyst for many in their civic involvement is the YMCA Youth & Government program.

With over 80 years of impacting the youth across our country, the YMCA Youth & Government program reaches 50,000+ youth across America every single year. This program instills not only civic engagement, but core values such as honesty, respect, responsibility and accountability when developing young leaders, changemakers, and above all else, empowering the youth through civic engagement opportunities and education. I, for one, have experienced the power of this program for the last three years, crafting legislation that changes lives, working my way into an officer position leading others as they’ve been led in the past. And now I’m in the position of Youth Governor, hoping to have the same impact on the hundreds of individuals in my state’s program that the program had on myself.

Currently, this program is behind a paywall, effectively excluding some students from fully participating in YAG. Removing these obstacles through funding and the reinstatement of grant funding ensures that all students, regardless of financial situation or background, can engage in activities that promote growth, leadership, and community.

The story of the individual who’s been in the program for the last three years, that story is my own. The skills I’ve gained—public speaking, critical thinking, and civic engagement—are invaluable. This program isn’t just one to debate in though, it’s a call to making a difference. Teaching every participant the importance of their voice in a world where speaking up makes a difference.

-Written by Jayson Pai, North Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Youth Governor 2025-2026