Are you someone under the age of 18 who wants to make their voice heard this upcoming election? No need to worry. Here are 7 simple ways teens too young to vote can help contribute to the 2020 election.

• Educate yourself on the candidates

Hopefully, you already have a clear sense of which of the two candidates you’ll be supporting this year. If not, it’s always a good idea to check out their websites for more details on the causes each candidate supports, more ways to get involved in supporting the candidates themselves, and the latest news updates regarding the election.

Donald Trump’s Website

Joe Biden’s Website

According to YEA Camp, here are some creative tips on how you as a teen, can help during the election:

1.Talk to people you know who are 18-and-over (family members, friends, neighbors) about the election

If you are under the age of 18 and can’t vote yourself, you could always try to persuade your parents or an older sibling over the age of 18 to vote on your behalf. Encourage them to visit your candidate’s website (see reason #1 above) to get more knowledgeable about the causes you support. Hopefully, you might just get them to vote for your candidate! Just make sure they are legally registered to vote.

2.Make your voice heard on social media

You could influence hundreds or thousands of people on social media just by posting a link to an article you found online that supports your political cause. Even just posting a picture of you and your friends at a rally on your social media encourages those in your community to be aware of the election and to consider supporting your candidate.

3. Fund-raise for a campaign or organization

Whether it’s a bake sale, a car wash, or even a lemonade stand, you can donate the money you raise to a local campaign. Even better, consider signing up for the email list of your favorite candidate and then forwarding campaign emails on to adults who might donate.

You could also ask the people in your life who normally give you presents for your birthday or the holidays to donate that money to your candidate instead.

According to Teen Vogue, here are some more ways to help support your candidate this year:

4. Stay active in keeping up with your candidate- even after Election Day

All the campaigners that spoke to Teen Vogue said their work isn’t over after Election Day. “A lot of times what happens is that organizations or certain elected officials will come in just when they need a vote, and they completely disappear from our communities after that,” Raven Douglas, the political director at the youth advocacy group MOVE Texas says. “When we’re sending money or doing phone calls for candidates across the country, that’s good and that’s important, but that doesn’t last because that’s candidate-driven,” she explains. “When you’re focusing locally, you’re building community, and that’s something that we can sustain over the course of multiple election cycles and ultimately use to build lasting power.” 

Make sure you continue to support your candidate after Election Day because they’re always counting on dedicated supporters like you.

5. Make sure your friends are involved

We are stronger when we come together and even today during the era of COVID-19, that message still rings true. Make sure to get your friends involved in your campaigning efforts, whether it’s in the form of a fundraising event (see reason #4) or even just a matter of working together to spread the word on social media. Every voice counts.

6. If you can, pre-register to vote

In some states, you can pre-register to vote as early as 16 years old but every state has its own guidelines and regulations when it comes to voting so be sure to check this website for more information. Simply click on your state for step-by-step directions.

Now, what exactly does it mean to pre-register to vote?

Depending on your state, you may be able to pre-register to vote at either 16 or 17 years old and by doing so, you automatically become registered to vote on your 18th birthday. No extra work is required. 

Overall, there is so much that all of us can do to make a difference in the world, no matter how old we are. Voting is absolutely important if you are old enough, but that’s just one vote. Taking part in any of these actions means impacting a lot more people and those votes all add up. The presidential races are close, and we all have an opportunity to make an impact. So get to it!