By: HiLite Staff

As the competition heats up with this year’s presidential elections, citizens across the country are getting more involved than ever in the election process especially the first-time voters. This Tuesday, Hoosiers will get their say in the May 6th elections, and for the first time in many years—with former President Bill Clinton’s visit on Monday as testament to this—Indiana has prominence in the primary elections. As such, students here should take advantage of the political opportunities available to them this year with the hope that that involvement will begin a lifetime of political awareness and participation.

The most obvious way to get involved is to vote. Of course, this is not a viable option for everyone here who is interested in the elections. Indeed, there has been much dissatisfaction across the nation among the younger kids who are interested in politics but do not have the right to vote. In fact, there have already been movements in several states to lower the voting age and allow younger kids to be more involved in politics.

But involvement in the elections is not limited to people 18 and over. Certainly, a common misconception is the if- I- can’t- vote-, I- don’t- have- any- say mentality. For those students not lucky enough to vote, they haven’t exactly missed the boat.

Besides voting, students can help promote elections in several ways. Organization like the Students for Barack Obama Club and Political Discussion Club are prime examples of an alternative way to be involved in the elections process. By facilitating discussions on politics, these clubs can also inform and educate students more on the elections and the current political scene, despite their political affiliation. This way, the students who can vote can use that information to make better decisions. In addition, Students for Barack Obama Cub also works to promote an interest in the elections and encourage students who can vote to vote. The method of involvement is a great way incite interest in politics and get wider voting demographics. Other methods of involvement include going door-to-door, to promote interest in the elections or support for a certain candidate.

While all of these methods of involvement in the elections may seem insignificant without voting, students should keep in mind that, eventually, we will all get the chance to vote. Getting involved earlier and following the campaign trails will allow younger students to be more knowledgeable. Rather than having to cram in all the information right before voting, involvement in the elections early on will result in a more informed vote.

To those who can vote, a word of caution: don’t get discouraged by the results. In the election, there will only be one president and the supporters of the candidates that do not win should keep that in mind. Choosing to vote means that one is choosing to have a voice in the political scene. While this does not guarantee that that voice will decided the results of the election, it is still important to have that voice. Therefore, students should continue to exercise the right to vote despite undesirable results.

The lack of voting rights does not equate to lack of participation in the elections. Students who are interested in politics should not be limited by their age and get involved through alternative methods. And to the students who can vote, we encourage you to do just that.