The 2020 election season witnessed an influx in participation by probation youth in juvenile camps and halls, with the Youth Voter Registration Initiative helping youths register to vote. 

The program has helped guide young voters in juvenile halls for the past several years, run by Supervising Program Analyst Rahman Williams, who is responsible for training staff members in assisting voter registration for incarcerated youth.

When these young people arrive at juvenile detention facilities, they can register to vote. If they are 18 years old and would like to register, they receive assistance through the process. Interested underage youth can pre-register to vote. Before every election, the youth are asked if they’d like to register to vote.

The program also educates them on the propositions, measures and other elected officials in the ballot, receiving brochures from the Los Angeles County Registrar’s office. 

“We always sit down with those who are interested and explain what the measures are about and what the issues are,” said Williams.

In the past 90 days, 154 youth registered and pre-registered to vote. Of the 46 qualified youths registered to vote, 31 of them successfully cast their ballots. According to L.A. County Probation Department, this is an influx in participation compared to previous years. 

“This year’s numbers are what we expected,” said Williams. “It’s a very important election, and we wanted to make sure we gave 100 percent toward getting as many young people an opportunity to participate in it. I think that will bode well not just for us locally but also for the country.”

This year, like most in the country, the youth cast their ballots by mail. The staff at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall set up a reproduction of a voting booth where registered youth could fill out their mail-in ballots. 

Williams added, “We take our civic responsibility seriously and want to make sure they understand their civic responsibility too.”

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