In 2016, I canvassed for Hillary Clinton. I was 14 years old and not gonna lie, I did it for the democratic clout. As a freshman in high school, politics were the least of my concern. That’s how it should be: high schoolers shouldn’t have to worry about politics. They shouldn’t have to worry about their parents being laid off, their grandparents dying from COVID, or the effects of climate change. It’s sad but also inspiring to see high schoolers on TikTok expressing their political views; it’s a cry coming from a population that can’t change the country themselves.
Four years have passed, and now I’m 18. This election will be the most important one in my lifetime. It will determine the economy when I graduate from Lafayette. It will shape who I can marry and who has rights. It’s the first time I can decide how the next part of my life will go, and I’m not taking any chances. Here’s what I’m doing.
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I am voting. This is the most direct way to affect legislation. There are many ways to vote this year, each with their own pros and cons, but vote early if you have the opportunity to. Mail-in ballots and drop-off ballot boxes should decrease election day lines. If you want to vote in person after receiving a mail-in ballot, make sure you still have all of the ballot’s components (including the envelope). Also, check voting guidelines in your state to see if there are any additional requirements.
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I am volunteering for what I believe in. Unlike in 2016, you can volunteer for literature (lit) drop-offs. Lit drop-offs are basically canvassing but without human contact. If you have an hour or two to spare, I highly suggest volunteering for this. It makes you feel politically active without going through any awkward political talk.
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I’m writing this article. I don’t care who you vote for, but I do want you to go to the polls. Or turn in your ballot. Or mail your ballot. Honestly, there are so many ways to vote this year. Do one of them.
There’s a lot on the line this year. This election will determine how the next 4 years or more go, so use your vote and use it wisely.
Bonus Section: Here are some notes that I learned through 2016 and 2020 political work.
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If you do not answer political calls, they will keep calling. In 2016, I spent a shift working the phones. (There’s nothing like a 14-year-old calling grown adults and lecturing them about their civic duty.) For each call/number, there are checkboxes that the caller must get through. If you want them to stop calling you, there are three options. First, you could actually answer all of their questions. Second, you can ask them to stop calling you. Third, you can straight up lie and say that no one by the mentioned name lives in your household. All of this works, but the first step is to answer the phone.
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If someone is at your house delivering literature, don’t stare them down while they do it. Please just ignore us or pretend you didn’t see us. I don’t need this stress in my life.