On October 19, the LM Democrats club partnered with the organization, New Voters, to host LM’s first ever Votechella, an event aiming to educate attendees and increase civic engagement. Aiming to increase early voting and educate people of all ages and political affiliations about the power of their vote, the event aimed to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere, according to organizers. The bus circle was lined with food, raffles, and games- all offered at no cost to participants. Votechella aimed to enhance civic engagement within the LM community and empower attendees to make informed decisions without any added ideological pressure.
Due to LM Dems partnership with New Voters, a Gen-Z led organization that mobilizes high school students to vote nationally, Votechella offered a variety of entertainment and complimentary food. This included a free ice cream truck, raffles with items donated from local businesses, and games. After organizing similar events at other schools alongside Votechella, they leveraged their connections with local businesses to successfully coordinate the project at LM.
Both New Voters and LM Democrats are aiming to address youth voter turnout by providing nonpartisan political education to youth voters and the broader voting population. Making up nearly 21% of the eligible voting population in the United States, young voters are a large part of American democracy. Yet, they often lack in turnout to the polls. According to Tufts CIRCLE, only about 50% of young people aged 18-28 voted in the 2020 presidential election. Votechella’s organizers hoped the event, and ones like it, could address this problem.
Votechella not only encouraged young voters to engage with the political process, but helped bridge divides by promoting understanding across a variety of different political perspectives. Organizer and president of LM Dems Alexa Saler ‘25 explains the importance of this dialogue, stating that “one of the most important things that came out of this event is the respectful conversations that were shared in a very positive environment.” By being explicitly nonpartisan, Votechella aimed to make people comfortable enough to discuss politics with each other. Aarwon Silber ’26 shared that when he was at Votechella, he noticed that “there were a lot of people that came with various political beliefs and backgrounds. I noticed a guy who was a Trump supporter, wearing a MAGA hat, and I noticed he was smiling and having the time of his life.”
But planning the event was no easy task. Co-organizer Zach Hillwig ’25
explains that the short timeframe between the start of the year and the event led to planning and coordination challenges. Hillwig elaborates, disclosing that Votechella’s biggest challenge was the “level of coordination with various outside organizations, and getting everything approved by the school in a timely manner.” Saler also explains that the marketing aspect of the event was challenging, circling back to the short time frame in which it was organized. “It was hard to advertise and get the word out in order to be sure people attended,” she explains. Votechella was posted on flyers around LM and promoted on social media to gain traction. About 80 people were able to enjoy the event.” Organizers of Votechella explain that they would like to see it again in the future and wish to continue spreading voter education.
