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Like all of you, we have spent the past weeks trying to figure out what lessons to take away from the 2024 election. We have given a lot of thought to the disaffected young people who either didn’t vote or voted based on inaccurate information. Our conclusion is that involving young people directly in the mechanics of democracy and educating them about accurate sources of information must be part of the solution.
What we observed this year, even more than in the past, is that Students for Voting Justice had an impact that rippled far beyond the interns we enrolled. Our interns told us that their participation in our internship made them authorities on politics, elections, and the voting process for their families and communities. Because of the education we provided for our interns, they were able to influence others to educate themselves and vote. Here are just a few examples:
"I recruited some family members to do some postcarding and, since no one in my family went to college, they asked a lot of questions about politics and the election so it was good to be there to answer their questions." - Edric
"Due to this internship, I learned about vote.org. I spoke about it with my mom who was unaware of the other candidates on the ballot (outside of the presidential candidates). She told me that my excitement for vote.org encouraged her to look into it herself and see what would be on our ballot. She learned about the other candidates and actually became excited to vote for our House Representative." – Isis
"I had a friend of mine and his mom text me for information on their ballot. I was able to guide them to Ballotpedia and they went to vote later that day." –Syaira
"I recruited my 8 and 15-year-old cousins to help decorate postcards as part of the volunteer efforts for my Students for Voting Justice internship. It was their first time getting involved in any political activity, and they were excited to contribute in any way. I explained the importance of the voting process and how these small acts, like decorating postcards to encourage voter participation, were part of a larger effort to make a difference. It was rewarding to see them gain an understanding of how they can be involved in activism, even at a young age, and it sparked conversations about civic responsibility in our family." – Kristianna
Like deep canvassing, this kind of personal political organizing will bear fruit over many years to come as the families and friends of our interns feel empowered to vote and even become activists and organizers themselves.
Andrea Miller, the founder of the Center for Common Ground, spoke to our interns at our final meeting of the fall session on November 8. She didn’t sugarcoat the challenges that we are facing, but she emphasized to our interns that they now have real political organizing skills and important knowledge about the political process. She told them that they are the next in a long chain of generations of people who have organized for progress. She urged them to stay strong and stay in the fight.
And that is our message for you today as well. Stay strong. Stay in the fight. Join us in the coming years as we turn hundreds of new interns into champions for democracy.
We are thankful to all of you for your support of Students for Voting Justice and your enthusiasm for our mission, which is to empower our youth to strengthen our democracy. We want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and to say that you will be in our thoughts as we review all that we are grateful for.
With continued hope for our democracy,
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