What Matters to You?

When getting ready to cast a ballot, voters consider the issues that matter most to them. Then they find out how the candidates feel about those issues. The issues can be local, such as how a community should manage its schools or maintain its roads. They can be statewide or national, such as how a state or country should manage its finances. Or they can be global, such as how countries should work together to fight climate change.

Junior Journalists, we want to know:

What matters to you? If you were old enough to vote, which issue would be most important to you when deciding whom to support, and why? Ask a teacher, parent, or guardian to share your answer with us at timeforkids.com/tfkpressclub or email it to tfkpressclub@time.com.

Click here to learn more about the TFK Press Club and to access past missions.

If I were old enough, I’d vote for a person who could fix the problem of homelessness. This matters to me, because I want everyone to have a fresh start. And I want cities to show that they care about their people. We should build more shelters in cities, to protect homeless people from snow and rain, and from other dangers. I have heard that many shelters are not that good, and that this could be why people prefer to stay on the streets. We should make shelters nicer places to be. Seeing people asking for money and getting rejected makes me so sad. I think everyone can help fix this problem. August M., 9, Washington

I’d vote for candidates who support climate-change policies. Climate change is destroying places like Antarctica, where the ice is melting. Many of the world’s animals are losing their habitat. There’s more carbon dioxide in the environment than there should be. Burning gasoline for fuel increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. So if walking or biking is an option, do it! Madeline K., 10, Oklahoma

We are destroying the world. We pollute the air and the sea. We wipe out forests and animals. The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed to build things we do not need. By damaging the rainforest, we’re speeding up climate change. As a Brazilian, I believe our government should work more to preserve the Amazon and the whole environment. We can’t make things perfect, but we can always make them better. People could be more eco-friendly. They could recycle, and let nature grow healthily alongside us. Some people are doing that, but there could be a lot more. What matters to me is that the world survives as long as it can. João G., Alagoas, Brazil, 10

The issue that matters most to me is inflation. Things should not be so expensive. A full tank of gas should be $10. High prices are hard on people. Many won’t have enough money to get the things they need. If I were old enough to vote, I would support someone who’d work to lower prices. Emma S, 10, New York

Junior Journalist submissions have been edited only for length and clarity. They are not intended to reflect the views of TIME for Kids. Ages are accurate as of the time of submission.