How to get involved

Register and vote

Every state sets its own deadlines for registering, asking for a mail ballot and voting early. Miss the registration date and you may not be able to vote in that election.

1. Open Elections and pick your state. The top of the state's page shows the registration deadline, the mail ballot rules and the early voting window.
2. Use the link to your state's election office on that page to register or check your registration. The office's own site is always the final word.
3. In California you can pre-register at 16 or 17 at registertovote.ca.gov, and you are registered when you turn 18.
4. Before election day, open Who's running on your state's page to see the races and the candidates.

Reach your student trustee

Each of California's 72 community college districts is run by an elected board, and each board seats a student trustee elected by the district's students. That person speaks for you when the board votes on budgets, fees, programs and policy.

1. Find your college on the District map or in the Districts list.
2. Open your district's page for the trustee's name and email and the link to the board.
3. Write to them about a specific problem at your college: what is happening, who it affects, and what you want the board to do.

Run for student government or student trustee

Student trustees and student government officers are elected by students. Each district and college sets its own rules, filing dates and election timeline.

1. Ask your college's student government office (often called Associated Students) when filing opens and what the requirements are.
2. Talk to the current student trustee for your district. Their contact details are on your district's page.
3. The Student Senate for California Community Colleges represents students statewide. Its ten regions are the colored regions on the District map.

Speak at a board meeting

College boards, city councils and county boards in California meet in public, and state open meeting law gives members of the public the chance to comment. You do not need to be an expert. A two-minute comment about your own experience counts.

1. Open your district's page and follow the link to the board's page for the agenda and meeting dates.
2. For county boards, open Legislation, pick your state and then your county to see recent votes and what is coming up.
3. Check the agenda for how to sign up to speak. Many boards take comments in person and some take them online or by email.

Contact your representatives

Your members of Congress and your state legislators answer to the people in their districts. A short message that names one bill and says how it affects you is the kind that gets counted.

1. Open Legislation, pick your state, and choose Who represents me.
2. Open a legislator's page to see how they have voted and the bills they have voted on.
3. Check What's coming up and the legislative calendars so your message arrives before the vote, not after it.

Volunteer

• The Bay Area Volunteer Guide lists volunteer opportunities across the Bay Area.
• County election offices recruit poll workers for every election. In California, high school students can serve as student poll workers. Your state's page on Elections links its election office.