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With the 2024 U.S. presidential election having come to an end, you may be asking yourself how you could have played a role in the election because you cannot vote yet. But do not fear, there are plenty of ways for you to get involved with government and politics at a young age.
The first and most crucial step is to educate yourself on the inner mechanisms of government. The Internet and Google are easily the most viable methods of self-education in this current era. Make sure the sources you research are well-respected and cover the multiple perspectives that encompass Congress. Further down this specific line of political participation, watching public debates can further increase your constitutional awareness and educate you on the current state of political affairs; participating in debate clubs will help strengthen your public speaking skills.
Beyond watching debates on the internet, the next best option is attending local city council, town hall, and school board meetings. The issues and affairs discussed in these meetings will be relevant to you, given the locality of their context. This will garner a desire to voice your opinion due to the direct impacts of the matters at hand. The lack of young, fresh perspectives in the town’s chambers means your thoughts could be greatly appreciated and beneficial to those around you. If you are absolutely burning with passion and want to directly influence the policies on matters that you cannot vote on, contacting legislators is your best move. In order to do so, call or write to your Congressperson, mayor, or governor using information made available to the public (which is legal to do, regardless of age); choosing the correct representative to contact depends on the matter/policy at hand.
It is not too difficult to get involved in politics with others of your age. Volunteering in youth, politically oriented organizations allows students to use their collective influence to bring about change in the representation of their community. As an individual, you will be able to greatly assist in the organization's aim of voter outreach: the strategies and efforts made by political campaigns, organizations, and advocacy groups to engage, inform, and mobilize potential voters. If mobilizing your own friend group to become politically active proves to be difficult, you could always start a blog, which can also reach anyone over the internet. By utilizing the writing skills being taught to you at school, you can write blogs or create posts on social media. Additionally, a blog allows you to express and record your individual political opinions, which can prove extremely useful in positively standing out when applying for colleges and scholarships.
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