National Election Day, Nov. 3, the day that many U.S. citizens have been anticipating. The day that all eligible voters across the nation that haven’t voted already get to fill out a ballot in hopes that their chosen candidate gets elected.

The election doesn’t just affect those voting, but also the younger generation who aren’t of the age 18 or above that aren’t allowed to vote.

As the election is quickly arriving, political activism is one way ineligible voters are able to contribute without actually voting but letting their voices be heard. On the other hand, some students say they feel uncomfortable or unable to discuss their political opinions with other teens for different reasons.

“Sharing my political views feels very risky, and I often fear I will be judged or perceived a certain way because my beliefs go against what the media encourages and pushes,” senior Gabriela Solis said.

The events that have occurred in 2020, such as the COVID- 19 lockdowns and emphasis on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, have affected political discussions. Certain students said they feel more comfortable talking to people who have the same agreements as them rather than people who do not. The events leading up to the election have made political conversations more important because people from different sides have varying opinions on how to handle the situations.

“I think this year is very important because it has created many ways to share political opinions that haven’t been possible to share before,” sophomore Morgan Gross said.

According to today.yougov.com, fewer than half of Americans are comfortable dating someone from the opposite political party. In addition to that, some students believe that discussing political views should be more normalized.

“I know lots of people, including myself, who are scared to share their opinions out of fear of being hated,” sophomore Meredith Carrassco said. “I think people should be more open-minded and try to listen to all sides of every story.”