WASHINGTON D.C. – Yesterday, Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice and White House Public Engagement Director and Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond marked the 50th Anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment, which effectively lowered the national voting age to 18, by meeting with the leadership of non-partisan groups who are focused on youth voting access and civic participation. During the meeting, senior White House officials expressed their gratitude for the work the groups are doing and reiterated the President’s strong commitment to protecting the sacred right to vote.
The advocates shared updates on their work in states across the country to increase civic participation, including both fighting back against laws that suppress voter turnout as well as advocating for federal and state laws that expand access to the ballot box by making voter registration and casting a ballot more streamlined. They also shared recommendations for how the Administration can do more to advance youth voting rights, including through the President’s Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting.
Meeting participants included:
- Mike Burns, Campus Vote Project
- Mia Charity, Close Up Foundation
- Wisdom Cole, NAACP Youth & College Division
- Bella D’Alacio, March for Our Lives
- Mike Dean, LeadMN
- Morgan Stahr, Blue Future
- Alex Harris, Andrew Goodman Foundation
- Mary-Pat Hector, Rise
- Nicole Hensel, New Era Colorado
- Jazmin Kay, 18by.vote
- Abby Kiesa, CIRCLE
- Eve Leveson, YouthinGov
- Edwith Theogene, Generation Progress
- Clarissa Unger, Students Learn Students Vote Coalition
- Griffin Sinclair-Wingate, New Hampshire Youth Movement
- Joey Wozniak, Vote Early Day
- Dan Xie, StudentPIRG
- Claudia Yoli Ferla, MOVE Texas
