With the General Elections featuring the Presidential Election right around the corner, politics are on the foreground of many people’s thoughts. This year’s controversial candidates have raised tensions more so than usual. Aditya Shekhar ‘18 says, “Tempers are flared.” With these issues in our society being a cause of a lot of strained relations, getting involved in politics on a larger scale may seem intimidating and impossible for teenagers, but there are ways to play a part.

About 25 Blake high school students are about to take part in a unique volunteer experience, Student Election Judging. Although most of these students will not yet be able to vote on November 8th, they will get to take part in the voting process and get involved in politics on a city-wide scale.

They will help to register voters and hand out ballots, but a larger part of their job is to prevent voter fraud and improving efficiency within the voting system. “We make the [voting] process easier,” says Allie Miller ‘19.

These students will get the opportunity to serve not only their community, but their whole country, and gain important insight about what goes on behind the scenes. The students participating in Student Election Judging will get a chance to be immersed in a real world experience and will get to learn about the systems of democracy outside of the classrooms. Sarah Chute ‘18, who participated in August’s Primary Elections says, “It is not just a textbook.”

Our generation is the future, so the actions we take will influence world affairs and the imminent outcome of US politics. It is important to get teens involved in the political system.

Involvement can range from engaging yourself with the news more and participating in respectful discussions, all the way to being a Student Election Judge. There are many ways to show support of our community and country’s political system. Bennett Mattson ‘17 says to everyone, “You can make a difference!”