5 Ways People Under 18 Can Impact This Election

With the current political climate in the United States, the 2020 presidential election has been getting a lot of attention amongst teens and young adults. As someone who will not meet the voting age of 18, I’m constantly searching for ways I can still make a difference this November. Here are five of the best ways I’ve found for people under 18 to still participate in this election without voting.

Sign up to be a poll worker

Poll workers are paid to be stationed at voting locations near them on election day to assist people in the voting process. It is an extremely important job, and many retirees that would normally volunteer this year are at high risk for COVID-19. Therefore, high school and college students are being called upon instead. Check the age requirement in your state and visit pollhero.org to register.

Volunteer for political campaigns

Every candidate will have a website that allows you to volunteer for their campaign. You can make calls, write letters, send texts, and canvass. Look around for phone banks in your area, they’re easy to volunteer for and open to all ages. Again, you can choose to participate in the tasks you are most comfortable with.

Donate to victory funds

I know money is probably not something most teens have much of right now, but most political campaigns allow you to donate whatever you can. It might not seem like much, but that money will go to supporting who you think will make the changes you want to see. And you can’t really put a price on that.

Share important information

Teens learn from each other. One of the best ways I’ve found to start having important conversations is to share information on social media about causes important to me. Whether it’s text, video, or an image, posting can encourage healthy conversations and get your peers thinking about what matters to them.

Use your personal skills

Putting a personal touch on your activism can be a way to attract attention from your family, friends, and followers. If you are an artist, designing posters or creating drawings that make a statement about topics you’re concerned with could be a way to get some of your older relatives to hear you out. Other ideas for this could be a PSA film, a themed photoshoot, a song parody, or even selling personalized products that promote a candidate you like. The best part about using your voice is that it's up to you on how to amplify it.

It is frustrating to be young and not having a vote. But teens and pre-teens still have a variety of tactics we can use to be heard, stand by our beliefs, and get everyone who is eligible out to vote this November.