Many teens struggle to find their place in politics before they turn 18. Given recent polarization and the unpredictability associated with the current presidential election, many remain desperate to get involved. Fortunately, there are countless ways to exercise your political power well before casting a ballot.
First and foremost, educate yourself! Visit Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s websites. Learn about their policies and ideology. Cross check with reputable news sources including AP News, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
You should engage in conversation with your peers and the adults in your life. Presenting a strong, educated argument to your parents has the potential to sway their vote. Also, ensuring that you understand all possible arguments allows you to stop the spread of misinformation.
The spread of misinformation has become an increasingly pressing issue when considering the emergence of AI. From deep-fakes of Taylor Swift endorsing Trump to manipulated videos of candidates contradicting themselves, misinformation is everywhere. Don’t take everything you watch on TikTok at face value. Rely on reputable news channels, like CNBC and C-Span to ensure you know what a candidate really thinks.
Moreover, take advantage of MHS’s resources and ask your social studies teachers for clarification. Current OCRA teacher and past AP US Government and Politics Teacher Joseph Liberti notes that he is always happy to answer questions and advises students to “get connected to a campaign and/or groups supporting a particular party or candidate.”
Tyler Prozes (’25) is heavily involved in both local and national politics. He currently serves as George Latimer’s Internship Director for Latimer’s campaign for Congress. Additionally, he serves as an intern on Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, rallying local teens to write postcards to convince voters in swing states to get involved.
Signing up to volunteer for a political campaign is easy. For both Trump and Harris, you register as a volunteer on their websites. From there, you’ll be placed on a mailing list and forwarded information about potential activities including canvassing, driving the elderly to polls, phone banking, writing postcards, and more.
Given our current political environment within a highly digital age, information can spread quickly without consequence. As an educated, engaged citizen, you have the potential to ensure voters are receiving accurate information and therefore making what they truly believe to be the right decision at the polls.
As Sofia Pellegrini (’25), who has been involved with both local and national elections via internship and volunteer programs, notes, “repost and share compelling, correct information. Start conversations and debates with peers and family members.”
Make sure others are informed. Only with this emphasis on education and knowledge can we ensure the election of a president that reflects the ideals of our nation.
Read the rest of the 2024 Election Special Editon here
