Low voter turnout, particularly among young voters, has reached crisis proportions:

• With voting rates below 60% the United States ranks 28th of 35 on a list of developed countries;

• New York State with a 2016 voter turnout rate of 57.2% ranks 44th of the 50 among the states and the District of Columbia;

• 18 to 24-year-olds in New York State in the 2016 election had turnout rates of 38.2% compared to rates over 60% for people 45 years and older;

• Presidential election voting rates for 18 to 24-year-olds have declined from 50.9% in 1964 to 38.0% in 2012; and

• Voter turnout data for a broader age group of 18 to 29-year-olds, indicates that voting has remained at or below 20% for mid-term elections since 1984.