We like an effort launched recently by the state of Michigan aimed at getting more younger voters signed up.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist proclaimed the week of Sept. 8 as Voter Pre-registration Week, encouraging eligible Michiganders to pre-register to vote.

Pre-registration allows teenage Michiganders 16 years and older to take proactive action and ensure they are enrolled to vote as soon as they turn 18.

According to the proclamation, more than 126,000 young people in Michigan are eligible to preregister to vote in 2024.

Younger voters often lack the resources and support needed to learn how to register to vote and cast their ballots. Initiatives such as preregistration spur interest in civic engagement and enable young voters to get informed and excited about voting at the local, state and federal levels.

“Voting is a fundamental right, and it’s crucial that we continue taking action to knock down unnecessary barriers to the ballot box so every citizen can participate in our democracy,” Gilchrist said.

Pre-registration Week also offers an opportunity to open a dialogue about voting at home and school, encouraging younger voters to talk with their parents, educators and peers about voting and how to make their voices heard.

And that, we believe, is a key facet of this issue, getting younger voted invested in their communities, states, nation.

Interested in learning more? More information about voting preregistration can be found at michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/preregistration.

General information about voting can be found at mvic.sos.state.mi.us.