SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Creating voting awareness art with friends might not be every young person's idea of fun, but 17-year-old Anushka Kalyan said she loves it.

What You Need To Know

  • Many students and adults feel more civic education is needed in schools for a better understanding of the governmental system and to get students more engaged with voting when they come of age

  • The nations report card from the Department of Education has shown a significant drop in civics comprehension over the years

  • Adults aged 18 to 34 make up 31% of the state’s voting population but only 18% of likely voters according to the Public Policy of California

  • Which is a stark comparison to those 55 and older who make up 35% of the voting population but 50% of likely voters

“We call it, like, an ‘artavism’ event,” Kalyan said. “We’re making just a couple of bracelets and different things that we’re coloring just to make people more interested in the civic process, to get them more excited about voting.”

The high school senior said even though she can’t vote, she wants to encourage other younger people who can.

Kalyan said she wishes more civic education would happen at schools, so younger people may be more inclined to vote and be civically involved.

“Overall, at least in my school, it’s not the norm to talk about voting or be excited about things like that,” Kalyan said. “But I wish it was like that, though.”

According to the Public Policy of California, adults aged 18 to 34 make up 31% of the state’s voting population but only 18% of likely voters.

This starkly compares to those 55 and older, who make up 35% of the voting population but 50% of likely voters.

Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David Gordon is pushing for more civic education nationwide.

He said he would like civic education to start earlier than in high school.

“Our younger people are being exposed to sophisticated ideas on the internet on social media earlier and earlier,” Gordon said. “And they have absolutely got to understand how our government works because it’s how we work with each other.”

Another way state leaders engage young people is by pre-registering them to vote.

Since the state began allowing it in 2016, the Secretary of State’s office says over 1 million 16-17-year-olds have pre-registered, with the current total sitting around 131,000.

In Sacramento County, Ken Casparis with the county elections office said they have roughly 5,300 pre-registered and are working to have more sign up.

“We do what we call high school mock elections,” Casparis said. “So, we go out into the community and, as many high schools as we can get out to. This year we’re doing 17 of them, and we essentially introduce them to elections.”

Kalyan said she is pre-registered to vote but only knew it was an option when she got her driver’s permit.

“I didn’t know that [it is an option when you get your driver’s permit to pre-register to vote],” she said. “Only because I had a few friends tell me about like how to register for your permit. And they walked me through the questions. That’s kind of the only reason why I knew.”

Pre-registering is now something Kalyan said she talks openly about and hopes she and her friends can inspire others to be more civically minded.