US schools aren't teaching cursive. Now GenZ voters struggle to cast ballots

The decline of cursive education has left many Gen Z voters without a unique signature, creating ballot verification issues in states with mail-in voting in the ongoing US presidential elections.

In Short

• Gen Z voters face signature verification issues in US presidential elections
• Signature curing spikes in Nevada due to mismatches
• Decline in cursive education leaves Gen Z unprepared

The importance of cursive handwriting has all but left classrooms in this technology era. But in the US especially, it has left American students, including youing Gen Z voters with a crucial deficiency -- the lack of distinct signatures.

Why is this a problem? Many of them are facing trouble in casting their votes by mail in the ongoing US presidential elections.

With more mail-in ballots needing verifiable signatures, election officials are seeing increased rejections due to mismatches. This issue has led to a rise in ballot “curing” – the process of notifying voters and allowing them to correct discrepancies.

MAIL-IN BALLOTS FACE SIGNATURE HURDLES

In states like Nevada, which require signature matching on mail-in ballots, the lack of traditional signatures is causing delays.

Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar noted that a significant number of ballots in Clark and Washoe counties, key battleground areas, were flagged for signature verification issues.

"It's mostly the fact that young people don't have signatures these days," Aguilar was quoted as saying to New York Times, highlighting that many Gen Z voters’ only signature may be a quick scribble on a digital pad at the DMV.

Across the US, signature matching is required in nearly two-thirds of states for elections. If a ballot signature doesn’t match the one on file, and the state has a curing process, the voter is notified to correct it.

In places without curing, however, ballots with unverifiable signatures are simply discarded. This election season, Nevada alone reported over 11,300 ballots in Clark County and 1,800 in Washoe County needing signature curing – figures higher than previous years.

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THE IMPACT OF LOST CURSIVE INSTRUCTION

Most US schools do not teach cursive writing. Several states had moved away from the same when Common Core standards were adopted in 2010. Consequently, voters in their teens and twenties today often lack a signature style.

Several states have since reintroduced cursive, with California and Louisiana passing laws to include it in curricula again.

However, for Gen Z voters, the damage may already be done. Some experts are advocating for replacing signatures with identifiers like ID numbers or Social Security digits

Not just in the US, cursive writing has seen a sharp decline worldwide as digital communication rises and education systems shift focus. In many countries, schools have reduced or eliminated cursive instruction, prioritising typing and print handwriting as more practical skills for modern needs.

SIGNATURE CHALLENGES BEYOND GEN Z

Though Gen Z faces unique hurdles, older voters are also affected. Signatures can change with age, marriage, or health conditions, leading to mismatches.

With mail-in voting now common, election officials worry that signature issues could continue impacting close races, especially as more ballots await curing.