Meet Caitlin Maguire from Rock the Vote!
As marketing manager for Rock the Vote, Caitlin Maguire spends her time getting young people excited about politics! Earlier this year, the 24-year-old won a Progressive USA Youth Award for a voter registration project called Spin the Vote. As fall rolls around and the election heats up, Maguire tells Seventeen why its so important to make your voice heard this election season.
Seventeen: A lot of Seventeen readers are not 18 years old. How can young people get involved if theyre not eligible to vote?
Caitlin Maguire: There is usually no minimum age requirement for registering voters. We encourage young people, even if they are not 18 yet, to start voter registration drives in their communities or join those types of voter registration drives to become familiar with the process.
17: What do you tell young people who do not think politics are important?
CM: When people say they dont want to vote because they dont think it matters, I tell them the easiest way to make a difference is to go to your local polling place on Election Day and press a button. Whether or not you vote, politicians will be creating and changing legislation that will have an affect on your life.
17: What do you think are some of the most important issues for young women in the upcoming electionelection?
CM: Its really interesting how youth-oriented issues are in the forefront of this election. When the Republican candidates were talking about birth control and womens health and how they would handle those types of issues, it was really interesting to see the female electorate take a stand. Also, healthcare is an important issue. The Affordable Care Act does affect young people and it does affect womens reproductive rights. Politicians will use it as a factor when trying to change laws regarding reproductive rights.
17: How does Rock the Vote keep teens engaged after election season?
CM: We have a high school civics education program called Democracy Class. Educators teach their high school seniors the importance of voting, the history of voting, and then they register them to vote. This program can be used any time during the year to reach those first-time voters. Thirteen thousand people turn 18 every day. Were trying to reach as many of them as possible so that when they turn 18, one of the first things they get excited about is registering to vote.