You shouldn't just let Election Day slip by because you forget to vote. You can cast an absentee ballot if you can't get to the polls on Election Day. Many people also find newspaper editorials helpful, since many papers make a conscientious effort to interview the canddiates and review their qualifications. A surprisingly large number of politicians were active in student government in high school or college. You can work behind the scenes in local campaigns.
Candidates are usually glad to have energetic volunteers.
I also recommend that you read about current events, history and government. They kept working at politics even after they suffered defeat and felt discouraged. Most of them started at a time when women faced more obstacles than they do today, but the lesson is still a good one. Perhaps in 8 or 12 or 16 years. Vice President Gore and Governor Bush were being very, very cautious in choosing their running mates.