#PreparedToVote
Do you ever think that one vote among millions won’t make a difference? Well, history shows it does — here are some of the closest presidential races in the United States.
With 22 million teens turning 18 before the 2020 elections,1 our alumni KIPPsters are taking to the polls and empowering the community to make their voices heard this November and beyond.
“It is important to vote so I could be the voice for the voiceless,” says KIPP LA Prep alumna, Samantha R. “With everything going on and a lot of the injustices that have occurred this year, it is important to vote for someone that cares about everyone equally.” In agreement with this is Camila C., KIPP Adelante Prep Academy alumna, who urges that it is time to “stand up for what you think is right.”
In creating a more just world, participating in federal, state, and local elections is one way to leverage your voice to elect leaders and support policies that have both your community and the nation’s best interest.
“We need to make sure we get involved and hold politicians accountable,” states Stephanie M., KIPP LA Prep alumna. Voters, especially young voters, can directly influence issues that may affect their lives over the coming years. Indeed, young people have the power to be more influential than ever before, so much so that the collective youth vote can sway the election results. Reports say that Gen Z eligible voters are a more racially and ethnically diverse group than older generations, specifically about 1-in-5 Gen Z voters are Hispanic.2 “It's important to have our voices heard,” exclaims Sofia A., KIPP LA Prep alumna, “and our opinions heard as people of color.”
Check out how some of our KIPP SoCal alumni are speaking on being #PreparedToVote and encouraging others, as Zaydee R. stresses, to “take this election seriously!”
"It is really important to help educate communities about the upcoming election,” states KIPP LA Prep alumna, Kenia R.B. “because sometimes people might not know who/[what] to vote for” and the outcomes will impact us all as a community. Opportunely, in today's digital world, our alumni are able to form a fuller picture of the candidates in a medium they're no strangers to.
Having said that, KIPP SoCal alumni, whether eligible to vote or not, want to close the race and age voting gaps in their neighborhoods by creating confident voters in many forms:
- Sparking conversations with family and friends on voting rights
- Reviewing a guide to voting and registering eligible voters
- Sharing an unbiased resource
- Marketing key dates and reminders on social media
- Volunteering at phone banks
And ahead of the November 3rd presidential election, several alumni KIPPsters have a written message to share:
— Samantha Ruiz, KIPP LA College Preparatory School Alumna
KIPP SoCal alumni are on a mission to act and also engage and mobilize their networks as the country gears up for the 2020 election. “I am excited to participate in upcoming elections because I would like to see change,” says Stephanie M. “And I know I can contribute to it. I'm also excited because this will be the first time I am old enough to vote in a Presidential Election.” Every vote matters. Make it count! Take to the polls and as Valeria J., KIPP LA Prep alumna, says — “create change.”
1 When We All Vote. (2020). Retrieved from whenweallvote.org.
2 Barroso, Amanda. (2020, September 23). Retrieved from www.pewresearch.org.