As some students head to the polls, others have embarked on the campaign trail as NJ local election positions were up for grabs, a growing trend as a new generation vies for political office positions across the nation.
Most notably, Jannah Hameed, HHS Class of 2023 alum and candidate for Hillsborough Township’s Board of Education (BOE) is an aspiring politician that wants you to know that she knows what she’s doing.
Hameed’s campaign is backed by boro youth, from the high school students that canvas neighborhoods to the alum that designed her perfectly-pink lawn signs placed all across town. But her campaign doesn’t come without its challenges.
“There are also people that assume that I can’t handle the position, that I don’t know what it entails,” Hameed said. As a young muslim American woman, she says she has to be self aware of how she presents herself to voters. During her time as an HHS student, Hameed said she was inspired when learning about issues in the school system from teachers. As a student at Rutgers University, majoring in Communications and Environmental Studies, Hameed stresses the importance of gaining the perspective of a student of voting age, presenting her platform as easily accessible and transparent to voters.
“It’s already hard enough to find out information about Board of Education candidates, let’s not make it more difficult than it has to be,” Hameed said. “I think students don’t realize how easy it can be to reach out to the BOE or come to a BOE meeting and talk about issues they are concerned about.”
Her campaign reflects a shift in the way younger voters digest political information, evident from her recognizable branding on Instagram to her “Balloons for BOE” meet and greets.
Hameed acknowledges that a substantial number of students may disregard local elections. “They’re often shoved under the carpet,” she said, in favor of national elections. “Take the risk,” she said to potential future politicians,reminding students that she isn’t that much older than them.
“All it takes is determination, a firm handshake, and a consistent color scheme,” Hameed said. “The best thing about running for office is seeing other people encouraged to run for office.”
Students also use this election season to speak out on issues important to them on a state level. Senior and HHS student BOE representative Sanjana Bhatta serves as an advocate for Vote16NJ, a push by NJ Democrats, including Governor Phil Murphy, to lower the voting age for school board elections to 16.
Bhatta comments on the importance of political engagement in young voters.“The youth are often underrepresented in important decision-making processes, and thus need to speak up to get their opinions considered on a federal scale,” she said.
Hameed was not elected to the board of education, but she did win over 5,300 votes.
The growth of student political participation in Hillsborough suggests an ambitious generation of potential voters to come in future elections.
