In the upcoming 2024 elections, an estimated eight million youth and nearly one million newly naturalized citizens will be eligible to vote for the first time. This wave of new voters, particularly among youth and immigrants, has the potential to greatly influence the outcome of the upcoming elections. Another group that could create a significant impact in the upcoming primary elections is the formerly incarcerated people re-entering society and reinstating their right to vote.
For many, this election represents their first opportunity to participate in a national democratic process of this magnitude. For numerous young adults and recently naturalized citizens in Chicago, voting goes beyond mere participation: it symbolizes empowerment, representation, and the fulfillment of civic responsibility. It represents a chance to have their voices heard to influence policies that directly impact their lives, communities, and futures.
In 2020, amid the pandemic, the United States saw the highest turnout of young voters since 1971, when the voting age was lowered to eighteen. In Chicago’s 2023 mayoral election, voters aged eighteen to twenty-four helped get Brandon Johnson over the top, with 32 percent more people from that group voting in the April runoff than the February election.
Having grown up in an era marked by social and political activism, youth are concerned about issues such as climate change, racial justice, and economic inequality. Many have witnessed firsthand the power of collective action and advocacy in affecting change, fueling their desire to participate in the democratic process and leading young voters to choose issues over political parties.
“I think a lot of issues [have] always been present, but then I think especially during the election year they tend to rise even more,” said Annabelle Sanchez, who recently turned eighteen.
According to a report by the Center for Information and Research on Civil Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), in the 2022 midterm elections approximately 39 percent of Gen Z ranked inflation and gas prices as one of their top three issues, with 30 percent prioritizing abortion, 26 percent focusing on jobs and 23 percent highlighting climate change.
Conversely, Gen Z, influenced by current events such as school shootings becoming more common and recent movements for racial justice, shows a slightly higher inclination towards addressing issues such as gun violence (21 percent) and racism (18 percent) compared to Millennials (16 and 13 percent, respectively).
For Annabelle, the decision to exercise her right to vote is driven by a desire to address pressing issues such as climate change. “I think overall, it is the land, and ultimately it affects everyone, even in things that you wouldn’t even expect them to, it will always play a factor,” she said, highlighting the interconnectedness of political decisions with individuals’ lives.
Recognizing the importance of being well-informed, Annabelle said she encourages her peers to stay updated on current events and political developments. “Current events, they change every day, [as do] the responses from administrations,” she said. “Their take is very important.”
In Illinois, a new initiative to pre-register sixteen-year-olds to vote aims to instill a sense of civic duty and responsibility from an early age. Through this initiative, which began on January 1, 2024, Illinois residents who are sixteen can pre-register for voting on the Illinois State Board of Elections website. The registrations will be kept on hold until the individuals reach the legal voting age.
By introducing young people to the electoral process before they reach voting age, the initiative seeks to foster a culture of active citizenship and political engagement.
For immigrant communities, obtaining citizenship and the right to vote signifies the culmination of a journey toward full integration into American society.
The journey toward citizenship is often fraught with challenges and obstacles. From navigating complex legal processes to overcoming language barriers and cultural adjustment, the path to citizenship is challenging. The opportunity to vote represents not only a right but a hard-won privilege that underscores their stake in shaping the future of their communities and the nation as a whole.
In the fiscal year 2023, according to the US Citizenship and immigration services (USCIS), over 878,500 people became new U.S. citizens.
The New Americans Democracy Project, initiated in 2004 by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, aims to foster civic engagement within immigrant communities across Chicago and its suburbs. Over the past twelve years, the project has emerged as a national blueprint for empowering immigrants through civic participation and has helped register close to 200,000 New American immigrant voters in Illinois. Initiatives like this help us continue to educate and encourage civic participation.
In the complex landscape of American democracy, the journey of formerly incarcerated individuals to reclaim their right to vote can be full of systemic barriers.
“Once you’re sent to an Illinois Department of Corrections facility, the facility will inform the Illinois Board of Elections, that will disqualify you [while] you are actually physically located in a facility,” said Mark McCombs, the executive director of Kolbe House Prison and Jail Ministry. “After you get out of a facility, even if you’re on parole, you’re still eligible to vote. The key is you have to re-register [to vote]. As difficult as incarceration is, in many ways, reentry is even more difficult.”
For McCombs, the restoration of his voting rights after his own incarceration symbolized a legal formality and a profound act of reclaiming dignity and agency.
“So one of the very first things I did was to register to vote, and that first election I voted in [after being formerly incarcerated] It felt amazing,” he said. “It was like the first time I voted when I turned eighteen.”
Restoring the voting rights of individuals with felony convictions can enhance public safety. Voting and other prosocial activities, such as pursuing a college education, have been linked to decreased criminal behavior among those affected by the justice system.
McCombs said he believes that there needs to be more information to counter the vast misconception that formerly incarcerated people can’t vote and don’t have the right to vote. According to McCombs, voting after incarceration is as simple as voting for the first time. “Oh, it’s very simple. Just go back, and it’s as simple as when you got your voting rights initiated in the first place,” he said. “If you weren’t registered in the first place, you need to get registered. It’s as easy as that.”
Organizations like Kolbe House Prison and Jail Ministry provide support and resources to make the transition to re-enter our society easier; however, a lot of work must be done.
“That means that those of us who have been incarcerated need to lead the charge ourselves,” McCombs said. “And the number one way we do that is to vote and vote for people who advocate on our behalf.”
Sofia McDowell is a freelance writer, blogger and marketing professional.