More than 200,000 California teenagers have pre-registered to vote since 2016, further evidence that the youth vote might play a larger role than usual in this year’s mid-term elections.

The pre-registration milestone, announced Tuesday by Secretary of State Alex Padilla during a news conference at Francis Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles, includes 100,000 pre-registered voters who will be 18 by the November election and eligible to vote.

“This is not only a huge number, but it reflects the interest and appetite that young people have right now for being engaged in the process,” Padilla said in an interview with EdSource, noting that the number had nearly doubled in less than six months. “We thought we were putting together an ambitious goal — but young people have stepped up.”

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