IssueVoter Spotlight: Kaitlyn Tran
Meet Kaitlyn Tran, an IssueVoter Intern
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Age: 17
Current Location: St. Louis, MO
What issues do you care about?
Immigration, Education, Foreign Affairs.
How do you balance life and civic engagement to live a civically engaged life?
I’m currently in school, so for me, civic engagement is pretty naturally integrated into my school life with government class and clubs like Speech and Debate. Outside of school, I try to find opportunities to occasionally volunteer to do small tasks like letter-writing or to attend informational webinars. All of my friends are quite politically active as well, so I have conversations with them often to hear different insights.
Life moves fast, so does the news. How do you stay up to date and engaged with politics? (Besides IssueVoter of course!)
I read daily summarized news that’s sent to my email. My go-to general newsletter is The New York Times Morning Briefings, which have multiple major news stories broken down into easy-to-read points. I also like reading newsletters that are targeted toward certain issues. For example, I’m signed up for SupChina’s weekly briefing and Politico’s ChinaWatcher newsletter to get updated on U.S.-China relations.
Why did you start using IssueVoter?
When I first heard of IssueVoter, I was really excited by the concept. It’s a platform that’s easy to use and directly connects users to their representatives, which initiates a dialogue that many people wouldn’t take the initiative to seek out on their own. IssueVoter helps me bridge the disconnect between me and my representatives and keeps me constantly civically engaged and accountable by sending my opinions on bills to my representative. Especially this past election year, I’ve felt a lot more informed when having a resource to track bills on COVID-19 and other issues that matter to me. When I’m eligible to vote, I will definitely feel more confident in my choices to elect my representatives.
What is your favorite part of using IssueVoter?
My favorite part of using IssueVoter is how it can appeal to both less and more civically engaged voters and also a voter’s interest in the issue. IssueVoter breaks down bills with a bill summary and opponent/proponent opinions, but also provides a ‘related news’ section to learn additional information, which is helpful for when I already have a background on the issue or if I need to learn more. I also love the versatility of the way IssueVoter can be used to inform, send opinions to representatives, and encourage greater movement-building, along with how easy it is to share IssueVoter’s information. Lastly, its nonpartisan mission makes it a reliable, go-to source on bills for unbiased information, which is especially needed at a time when there is a large partisan presence.
What is your go-to podcast or newsletter?
The New York Times “1619” Podcast
What is your favorite song about America?
“This is America”
What is your favorite quote?
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
Complete this sentence… “A healthy democracy is…”
one that actively changes based on the needs of its citizens and can make bold new reforms when necessary.
Rapid Fire Questions!
How do you get your news?: Online News or Twitter
Online News
What do you enjoy more: Blogs or Podcasts
Podcasts
Morning News or Nightly News
Morning News
How do you vote?: Absentee/Early or Election Day
I’m not eligible to vote.
IssueVoter Bill Alert or IssueVoter Score Card
IssueVoter Bill Alert
IssueVoter is a nonpartisan nonprofit and free online platform with a mission to give everyone a voice in our democracy. IssueVoter answers the question, “The election is over, now what?” Individuals use IssueVoter to get alerts about new bills related to issues they care about, send opinions to their Senators and House Representative before Congress votes, and track whether elected officials are truly representing them.
Stay up to date with legislation and make your voice heard: Sign up for IssueVoter to keep track of Congress from your inbox and become a more informed voter for the next election!
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