NewsNation — Voter registration jumped by 700% after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection, according to Andrea Hailey, CEO of the nonpartisan group Vote.org.
Hailey reported that nearly 40,000 new voters registered within 48 hours of Biden’s announcement that he was ending his campaign and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
We saw a significant increase in registrations, especially among young people aged 18 to 34, Hailey said during an interview with The Hill on NewsNation.
Key swing states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin saw major spikes in voter registration. By the end of the week, Vote.org recorded over 142,000 new registrations nationwide.
The organization also noticed a particularly strong interest among young women voters.
“We’re seeing a surge in young women who are eager to participate in the election,” Hailey added.
While voter registration surged after Biden’s announcement, Hailey noted that her organization didn’t see similar increases tied to the Republican or Democratic national conventions.
Hailey also warned that new voter ID laws in some states might disproportionately affect younger voters. For example, some states no longer allow student IDs to be used as voter identification, while hunting licenses are still accepted.
Vote.org reports that 81% of those who register through their site go on to vote, indicating a high likelihood that these new registrants will cast ballots in November.