National Voter Registration Day is one week away—September 16, 2025! In this article, I will leave you all—whether you’re 14 or 41—with an action item to get your community ready to vote in their next elections!
First, you may be wondering what elections are coming up, and why it’s important to participate in local politics. While elections vary by state, and you should ensure you search for “upcoming elections in insert your state of residence,” some examples include governor, mayoral, city council, school board, and general assembly elections. Participating in local politics may seem insignificant as local leaders have small spheres of influence, but I assure you, they are important! Local elections are the foundation of democracy—it is your civic duty to have your voice heard by representatives who can actually hear you. Don’t get me wrong, presidential and congressional elections are extremely important, but the chances of the president or your state senators personally connecting with you to discuss what issues you have within the community are drastically less than those of your local representatives. When you advocate at the local level, you have legitimate leverage in the politics that govern your daily lives and can focus on building small, yet impactful changes.
Now, speaking of small yet impactful, here is your action item: I encourage you to celebrate National Voter Registration Day by hosting a voter registration drive in your community! You could host it at your school (high school, college, or university), local library, or any other community space.
Every state—except for North Dakota—has a voter registration process, with 17 being the general age at which citizens are allowed to register (some states have slightly varied age requirements). This is why a voter registration drive is the perfect action item for high school and college-aged activists; their campuses are booming with the exact group of people who need to register to vote!
To organize your voter registration drive, visit Voters Of Tomorrow for free gear, training, and everything you need to successfully take action in your community! They’re hosting their virtual voter registration drive training on September 10 at 7PM Eastern Time—don’t miss your chance to make an impact!
Want something a bit easier? Students Demand Action has a wonderful resource guide for hosting a voter registration drive—you just have people text “FUTURE” to 644-33 and they handle the rest! Plus, if you are an existing Students Demand Action member, this is a great way to get student sign-ups and promote the gun violence prevention movement.
If you need any additional resources, please reference the following sources (and, of course, you can always reach out to me directly via email):
As always: Don’t wait for change, be the changemaker!
-Lyn Jones
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