Support our Sponsors
  • St. Johns Dobbs Ferry ER
  • Duck Derby - Tarrytown Rotary Club and YMCA
Government & Politics

COVID-19 Spurs an Uptick in Youth Political Participation

• Bookmarks: 25


June 26, 2020

By Annie Rubinson–

Just six years ago, in 2014, a Pew Research Center study of 10,000 Americans classified 17 percent of 18-29-year-old voters as “bystanders” at the polls. Two years later, voter turnout in this same age bracket for the 2016 presidential election was lower than in any other age group. But with students home for the spring and summer due to COVID-19, local governmental campaigns saw an uptick in participation from within this age group, and the rivertowns are no exception.

Whether their candidate won or lost, these young Americans seemed to have found the political process gratifying—and may keep their involvement up as a result.

Support our Sponsors
Donate to The Hudson Independent

Wellesley Daniels, Evelyn Farkas’ campaign manager, said she noticed an increase in the number of young volunteers once COVID-19 hit. “There are a lot of students whose lives were upended because they were sent home, and they were looking for a meaningful way to fill their time and build their resumes,” she said. Out of the 95 total interns on Farkas’ campaign, the majority are between the ages of 14 and 25.

The same has proven true across many of the other NY-17 Democratic Congressional campaigns. Recent Irvington High School graduate Sam Roth said he initially decided to volunteer for Adam Schleifer’s campaign this spring after participating in one of his town halls over Zoom (which he otherwise may not have attended).

“I was just looking forward to my senior summer, I wasn’t thinking about any campaigns,” he said. “It’s very reflective of our generation that we’re choosing to take initiative rather than sit back.” Roth has since launched a Youth Advisory Council for the campaign, which Schleifer has pledged to keep if he wins the seat as a means of integrating ideas from young constituents.

Similarly, in Allison Fine’s case, Zachary Freiman (Fine’s 22-year-old son and director of her campaign’s internship program), witnessed a spike in youth involvement when he began reaching out to college students and alumni from his high school. “Everyone was in the same boat as me – everybody was super bored, and everyone had their summer internships canceled,” he said. “I got responses almost immediately. It was unbelievable.” He eventually instructed many of these new interns to continue this type of youth outreach, leading the number of student volunteers to multiply even faster.

Sarah Scheuer, a 20-year-old volunteer for Mondaire Jones’ Congressional campaign (also comprised largely of people in their twenties and younger), said she too initially decided to get involved in March because she was looking for something to do. She said that while she has avoided campaign work in the past, global hardships as well as Jones’ message recently changed her mind.

“I’ve had to realize that politics are the pathway to get a lot of things done that need to be done,” she said, citing inclusive health care and social justice as issues both she and Jones care deeply about. This is part of what makes her believe Jones is best for the job, given that the United States currently suffers from epidemics of both COVID-19 and racism.

“There are a lot of horrific things happening in the world as we all know, and those of us who are able to, need to turn our energy toward electing people who can give us hope,” Scheuer said, adding that despite her initial aversions, she would consider participating in campaign work again in the future. “Get out to vote week was really tough – you don’t get to eat and sleep a lot if you’re doing right – but this was a really positive experience. I met so many great people and I loved doing it.”

Even those who are not yet of voting age have recognized the importance of being politically involved in today’s climate. Jack Lobel, senior intern on Schleifer’s campaign and sophomore at Irvington High School said, “Adam’s decisions in Congress would impact my future. It’s never too young to get started in politics; the more informed you are, the more able you are to decide what you look for in someone you want to represent you.”

Freiman echoed similar sentiments. “There is no age requirement to make a call or write a letter. We are the ones who are going to reap either the rewards or the consequences of today’s policies,” he said, adding that one of the most hard-working interns on the Fine campaign was the youngest, a sophomore in high school.

Sarah Weintraub, 22-year-old intern working for Evelyn Farkas, also noted that campaign work provides hands-on learning opportunities for young volunteers. “It [campaigning] makes you more prepared to get more involved when you’re older and gives you a really strong foundation for understanding how elections and government work,” she said.

In most of these cases, the presence of young volunteers contributed to a positive campaigning experience. Charlie Blaettler, Jones’ campaign manager, said, “It’s really energizing [and] it’s a testament to Mondaire’s message.”

But will it last? “Young people are more political than they’ve ever been, and it’s related to everything that’s going on in the world,” said Farkas campaign manager Daniels. “I have a lot of faith that activism in young people will stay.”

Read or leave a comment on this story...


Support our Sponsors
Andrea Martone - Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow real estate agent

Facing Lawsuits Triggered by the State’s Child Victims Act, St. Christopher’s Files for Bankruptcy

By Barrett Seaman-- St. Christopher’s, the Dobbs Ferry-based home for more than a century to children with physical and behavioral...
Read More

Maker Hive Makes Space for Creativity

Maker Hive, on Warburton Avenue, has classes and workshops in a wide array of arts, crafts, and STEM activities  ...
Read More

Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Gear up for Earth Month in April

With the theme “Plastic or Planet”, Earth Month 10591 Releases April Event Lineup The Environmental Councils of the Villages of...
Read More

Renters in Tarrytown Building Worried They Soon Could Be Homeless

By Rick Pezzullo--- For many of the tenants living in the 108 apartments at Asbury Terrace in Tarrytown, 1 River...
Read More

Purpl is Back With a Full Calendar of Events

The organization plans to foster potential, forge connections and bring fun to the Rivertowns by Janine Annett-- Hastings-on-Hudson — The...
Read More

White Space

WHITE SPACE: "We’ll have to make little holes for the air" By Krista Madsen– Last week, after navigating the density of daily life, the...
Read More

In Irvington, Citizens Rise Up Against a Burgeoning Deer Population

By Jeff Wilson-- Across the rivertowns, war between residents and a proliferating deer population may be imminent. The latest indicator...
Read More

Irvington Flag Football Catching on with Players

By Tom Pedulla--- Justin Myers was not sure what to expect when he became head coach of the Irvington-Bronxville girls’...
Read More

Shovels & Rope: Couples Therapy Through Music

By Alan Sculley-- Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, the husband and wife duo that record and tour as Shovels...
Read More

Residents, Officials Rip Report on Edgemont Incorporation

By Rick Pezzullo--- Residents and town officials crammed into Greenburgh Town Hall Wednesday to rip a draft report from a...
Read More
25 recommended
1285 views
bookmark icon