WASHINGTON, DC — As the United States looks ahead to the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, Children’s Defense Fund Action (CDF Action)—the grassroots lobbying and advocacy arm of the national Children’s Defense Fund—has officially launched a major nonpartisan initiative titled the “Voting Rights are Children’s Rights” campaign. Designed to reframe how the American electorate approaches the ballot box, the nationwide effort seeks to remind adults across the country that while children and minors do not possess the legal right to vote, every single law, budget, and public policy that shapes, protects, or limits their daily lives is written, debated, and enacted exclusively by people who can.
The campaign arrives at a critical juncture in American politics, aiming to encourage the nation’s eligible voters—including parents, caregivers, faith leaders, congregations, and young adults—to consciously center the interests, well-being, and futures of all children and young people when casting their ballots. To support this mission, CDF Action has rolled out a comprehensive suite of resources hosted on its official campaign website. These materials include voter action guides, clear registration instructions, and practical strategies designed to help adults actively involve children in their voting plans, model civic engagement, and engage in meaningful discussions about political choices and democratic processes afterward.
As part of the broader rollout, CDF Action is also mobilizing its network by calling on CDF Freedom Schools® partner sites across the country to host specialized "Read Aloud for Democracy" experiences. Scheduled to take place at or near early voting centers nationwide, these events bring parents and children together to read literature before heading directly into the voting facilities. The initiative allows families to participate in democracy side-by-side in states where early voting has already commenced, reinforcing the concept that civic participation is a shared, intergenerational responsibility.
In a recent speech addressing the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., CDF Action President and CEO Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson underscored the profound importance of allowing children to witness the voting process firsthand. Dr. Wilson passionately encouraged all eligible voters who have children in their lives to not only keep youth in mind when entering the voting booth, but to physically bring them along so they can experience the democratic process in action.
“We don’t believe we can wait until they’re 18 to suggest that they vote. We have to bring them up in a culture of civic engagement by modeling voting, by taking them with us,” Dr. Wilson stated during his address. He further emphasized the urgent necessity of robust election protection work during this election cycle, calling for what he described as a moral confrontation at the polls. This confrontation, he noted, must directly challenge the realities and obstacles erected by those who attempt to suppress voter turnout—efforts that ultimately function to silence the voices of the nation’s children.
The urgency of the campaign is further compounded by recent legal and political attacks on democratic access. Brittany Packnett Cunningham, CDF Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, highlighted the vital relevance of the "Voting Rights are Children’s Rights" campaign in the wake of significant judicial setbacks, such as the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. According to organizational leadership, restrictions on voting rights cannot be separated from the material conditions under which America’s youth live, learn, and grow.
“We are clear at CDF Action that voting rights are children’s rights,” said Packnett Cunningham. “Every school that gets shuttered was a vote. Every lunch line that gets cut was a vote. Every hospital that closes in a rural county or an urban core, where a Black mother is trying to deliver a healthy baby, was a vote. You cannot say that you love children and stay silent while the vote is being strangled. These are the same fight.”
Building upon this foundational philosophy, CDF Action is urging voters to broaden their focus during the electoral season toward structural priorities, including the expansion of voting rights, essential reforms to the nation’s judicial system, and the aggressive holding of public corruption accountable. Furthermore, the organization remains deeply committed to ensuring that the next generation of young people is fully equipped to vote, volunteer, and make their voices heard in public life. As part of this long-term vision, CDF Action advocates for lowering the federal voting age to 16 years old, a policy change intended to expand young people’s legal access to influence the institutional decision-making that directly impacts their education, health, and futures.
Founded in 1969 originally as the Washington Research Project Action Council, CDF Action continues its decades-long legacy of advancing child well-being through grassroots lobbying, advocacy within Congress and state legislatures, and holding elected officials publicly accountable for supporting child-centered legislation. Through initiatives like its signature nonpartisan Legislative Report Card, the organization strives to keep the American public informed about the legislative activities of members of Congress across a wide spectrum of issues affecting youth. With the launch of the "Voting Rights are Children’s Rights" campaign, CDF Action seeks to fundamentally alter the national conversation around civic participation, cementing the idea that protecting the ballot is synonymous with protecting the next generation.
