WASHINGTON, DC — With the 2026 midterm elections fast approaching, Children’s Defense Fund Action (CDF Action) has officially launched a major nonpartisan initiative designed to fundamentally reshape how the nation approaches the ballot box. Titled "Voting Rights are Children’s Rights," the grassroots campaign aims to remind eligible American adults that while children cannot cast ballots themselves, every single law, policy, and budget that shapes their daily lives, health, education, and future is authored by individuals who can.
The campaign, spearheaded by the grassroots lobbying and advocacy arm of the national Children’s Defense Fund, seeks to encourage the nation’s adult population to deliberately consider the interests of all America’s children and young people when they head to the polls. As part of this comprehensive effort, CDF Action is equipping parents, caregivers, faith leaders, congregations, and young voters with practical resources designed to help eligible adults educate themselves, prioritize youth welfare, and actively include children in their voting plans.
The newly introduced materials include detailed voter action guides, comprehensive registration instructions, and useful strategies for involving children directly in the voting process. These strategies range from talking children through a family’s voting plan to discussing ballot choices and civic responsibilities afterward. By fostering these early conversations, the organization hopes to bridge the gap between youth exclusion from the formal electoral process and their deep stake in political outcomes.
To amplify the message on the ground, CDF Action is actively calling on its nationwide network of CDF Freedom Schools® partner sites to host "Read Aloud for Democracy" experiences. These community events are scheduled to take place at or near early voting centers across the country on October 17. During these gatherings, parents and children will read together before walking over to nearby early voting centers to participate in democracy firsthand in the states where early voting has already commenced.
The rationale behind bringing children to the polls is deeply rooted in the philosophy of the organization’s leadership. In a recent speech delivered to the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., CDF Action President and CEO Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson emphasized the critical importance of allowing children to witness the democratic process in action. He issued a strong call to action for all eligible voters who have children in their lives to not only keep youth interests in mind when casting their ballots, but to take the children along with them to the polls so they can partake in the experience.
"We don’t believe we can wait until they’re 18 to suggest that they vote," Dr. Wilson stated during his address. "We have to bring them up in a culture of civic engagement by modeling voting, by taking them with us. We also understand the election protection work that must happen this year. There must be a moral confrontation at the polls that demonstrates the realities of the challenges of those who would seek to send others to the polls to keep us from there. That they’re really keeping the voices of our children from being heard."
The urgency of the campaign is further heightened by recent legal and political battles surrounding ballot access. Brittany Packnett Cunningham, CDF Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, emphasized the profound interconnectedness of adult voting rights and the well-being of the nation’s youth, particularly in the wake of recent attacks on voting rights. She pointed specifically to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, noting that restrictions on the ballot box directly translate to setbacks for younger generations.
"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."
In addition to mobilizing voters for the upcoming midterms, the "Voting Rights are Children’s Rights" campaign urges voters to focus on broader systemic reforms. These include expanding overall voting access, reforming the nation’s court system, and holding institutional corruption strictly accountable. Furthermore, CDF Action remains steadfastly committed to ensuring that young people are fully equipped to vote, volunteer, and lift their voices in public life. This ongoing commitment includes active advocacy to lower the federal voting age to 16 years old, a step the organization argues is necessary to expand young people’s access to influencing the decision-making processes that directly impact their futures.
Founded in 1969 as the Washington Research Project Action Council, CDF Action continues to advance child well-being through grassroots lobbying, legislative advocacy in Congress and statehouses, and holding elected officials publicly accountable for supporting child-centered policies. Through initiatives like its signature, nonpartisan Legislative Report Card—which informs the American public about members of Congress and their legislative activity across a wide range of issues impacting children—the 501(c)(4) social welfare organization governed by a Policy Council continues to position child advocacy at the very center of American civic life.
