Voter turnout is historically much lower for local and municipal elections than for general elections. This is especially true for young voters. In Bernalillo County there are almost 50,000 registered voters aged 18-25 years old. In 2023, less than 2,000 showed up to vote in the municipal and local election. In 2024, less than 2,000 voted in the Primary Election. But in November 2024, over 26,000 voted in the General Election.
We do a good job of registering young voters but fail to engage them in non-presidential elections.
What can be done to increase their participation?
What are the barriers to youth voting in local elections? What are the incentives to vote? What are we missing? What communication strategies might be most effective?
Our panelists will share their perspectives on this issue and discuss possible ways to engage younger voters in these elections so that their interests may be better represented in the decisions made by local government.
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Blanca was born and raised in Santa Fe, NM, and earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Earlham College. She’s no stranger to the hardships that many individuals and families navigate in their day-to-day lives. These challenges have emboldened her to be present and active in her community. She currently works as a Site Coordinator for Communities in Schools New Mexico, where she helps to provide resources that support the betterment and quality of life of underserved communities. Blanca is passionate about education and immigration, and she hopes to explore policies intended to bridge the socioeconomic gap. She is especially interested in changes in immigration law and theory coincident with prevailing social issues. |
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Blanca Ortiz UNM Graduate Student Public Policy |
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Dovya Friedman has spent the past thirty years engaging with audiences on behalf of a diverse client base - corporate, civic, for profit, non profit - through branding, communication, marketing and advertising. Through Utility Agency, a small, woman-owned business, operating from Albuquerque's South Valley, every opportunity to support the success of a client is an opportunity to finesse our expertise and level up our services, all customized to each organization, all matched to their mission and culture. Dovya proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Keshet Dance and Center for the Arts, and TEDxABQ.
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Dovya Friedman Owner/CEO, Utility Agency & DLF Branding
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Lisa Bryant Ph.D. is currently Chair of Department of Political Science at California State University, Fresno, Dr. Bryant's research focuses primarily on election administration, public opinion and political behavior, campaigns and elections, and gender and representation. In addition to academic teaching and research, she has experience in the field of public opinion survey research and data analysis in both the public and private sectors and has worked with several non-partisan organizations, such as Pew Charitable Trusts and the Democracy Fund, to better understand voter behavior and increase voter registration and turnout. In 2024 she received an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship and during her two-year fellowship she will explore how partisan polarization has impacted election administration. She has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining the student chapter of the League of Women Voters at California State University, Fresno.
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Lisa
Bryant, Ph.D. California State University, Fresno
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