Whether you are a longtime resident of the Orlando area or just moved to attend college at the University of Central Florida, there are many ways to get involved with politics and our local and state government around your apartment near UCF.
As a student in Orlando, an essential step to getting involved with politics and our government is to get informed about current issues. You may choose to take a political science course to begin, or maybe a similar class is what led you to this step of getting involved. Orlando is the fourth largest city in Florida, one of the largest states in the United States, and just continuing to grow daily. There is no doubt that the area plays a vital role in the state of Florida and our country, ensuring that you will learn a lot about politics and our government here, with a chance to make a difference.
Ways To Get Involved:
1. UCF has over 650 student clubs and organizations to look into joining. They also have a Student Government that represents, advocates for, and serves the University of Central Florida student body. The more you get involved, the more you will learn about current issues around campus, around Orlando, and at the state, national, and world levels.
2. If you are ready to step outside of campus politics, the local and state level would be next. Due to covid, many entities are doing meetings via zoom, YouTube, or other online viewing options. Click the following links for their respective calendar of events and meetings: city of Orlando, Orange County, Orange County Public Schools, and the state of Florida Senate and House of Representatives. In most cases, public meetings list a meeting agenda in advance on their respective websites and allow citizen input before and during the meetings.
3. You may look into opportunities to volunteer with student organizations or other local groups with a cause you are interested in helping out. You could also volunteer to be a poll worker in the next election and play an important role in the democratic process. There is a primary election for Orlando and Florida on August 23, 2022 and a general election on November 8, 2022.
4. And lastly, that leaves an important responsibility for every American: voting. You can register to vote in Florida online or at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office in-person or by mail. You must be an American citizen, a Florida resident, and at least eighteen years old to register to vote.
Orlando and Orange County is a great place to get involved in politics and government whether you plan to stay after your time at UCF or plan to move on. You can get involved with student politics on the University of Central Florida campus and also at the city and county levels. The state capital city of Tallahassee is just four hours away, or take a trip to Washington DC from the Orlando International Airport if you want to go further than local politics and government.