800,000 Registered Voters Under 24, Only 90,000 Participants — How the Georgia Youth Advisory Council (GYAC) Could Change That
By Yeji Im
Atlanta, Georgia | July 24, 2026
Aliza Lifshitz, founder of the Youth Advisory Project, points out in an interview with United She Stands, “There's a lack of civic opportunity outside of voting and few accessible professional pipelines to develop the next generation of public service talent.”
Civic engagement has been on a downward trend among young people in their teens and twenties, and yet, its necessity has never been more important. However, as the statistic above indicates, it’s not the registration that's the issue—it’s the level of engagement available.
The proposal for a Georgia Youth Advisory Council seeks to remedy the lack of youth representation in the Georgia government by providing a permanent, statewide advisory body composed of Georgians (aged 14 to 21) from every congressional district. Members will be provided the opportunity to present feedback and unique insight regarding public policies directly impacting their lives, such as education, workforce development, technology, and public safety.
As one of the founders of the campaign, Elijah Crawford, argues, “This proposal enables council members to serve as an engaged and educated civic ambassador, not only in their schools, but in their community, county, and congressional district. It goes beyond the ballot box and engages young Georgians in representative public service, something unheard of for Georgia.”
Not only would this program offer hands-on leadership experience, giving young people an avenue to voice complaints, concerns, and a way to engage with the real life legislative body beyond a desk, it would also be a way to reconnect a whole sector of the working class (employed high schoolers who are not yet eligible to vote) with civic life, public service, and later, voting.
It’s important to note that the creation of the GYAC would not overturn the existing legislative authority. Rather, it would operate within the framework of existing state support. Therefore, a Georgia Youth Advisory Council would give the youth a chance to speak up without fundamentally altering the core pillars of government.
Currently, there are 2.45 million Georgians under the age of 18 without the ability to engage consistently with their state government. The approval of a Georgia Youth Advisory Council would help bridge the gap between the new and old generations, ushering in a future where established systems and fresh perspectives converge to push policies that improve the lives of everyone in the community.
