Five ways to make a difference in this year’s election

Cristal Rincon

Entertainment Editor

With Election Day fast approaching, it’s important to inform yourself on the many ways you can get involved. As young people, we may feel like we don’t have a voice in our democracy, but history has proven that young people have always been at the forefront of political change. From registering to vote to joining local organizations, here are five ways you can make a difference in this election, while still in high school.

  1. Register or Pre-Register to Vote.

If you’re 18 or older and eligible to vote, you should be looking to register. The easiest way to do this is to register online. All you need is your California driver license or identification card number, the last four digits of your social security number, and your date of birth. The deadline for online registration in the state of California is Oct. 19, but you can still register in person up until Election Day on Nov. 3. Those who are 16 and 17 unfortunately won’t be able to vote in this election, but you can still Pre-Register and get prepared to cast your ballot once you turn 18. 

registertovote.ca.gov/

  1. Get your friends and family involved.

While you might not be able to cast a vote, there may be people in your life who can. Talk to your friends and family about the candidate you support, urge them to become politically active if they aren’t, and encourage them to cast a ballot in this year’s election. 

  1. Text and phone bank on behalf of a candidate.

Voting is not the only way to directly support the candidate of your choice. You can sign up with their campaign to text and phone bank on their behalf, moving voters to action and sharing critical voting information. Before doing this, you will have to attend a live virtual training session, which are available multiple times throughout the day, and can be found on each candidate’s website. 

  1. Be active on social media.

Getting the word out about causes you care about has never been easier than in today’s day and age, where we have technology to our advantage. Regardless of your voter registration status, you can still be vocal on social media. While things like reposting graphics or reminding your followers about registration deadlines may feel meaningless, it’s one of the most valuable strategies for campaigns right now, who because of social distancing are unable to organize in-person. 

  1. Join local organizations.

This election is not just about supporting a candidate that you like, it’s about making sure to also support the values that you believe in. An easy way to do this is to research and join organizations that are advocating for those values. Your efforts can help bring awareness towards your cause, and catch the attention of politicians in charge.

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