Local Politics Reimagined for the Next Generation

Empowering young voters in North Carolina to engage in local politics through organizing, education, and community

✅ Tired of bias news? - We help you make informed decisions without pushing an agenda
✅ Overwhelmed by the ballot? - Local politics without the confusing language
✅ Feel like your vote doesn’t matter? - From voter registration to Election Day, we’re here to support you
✅ Don’t know where to start? - Join our community of young voters who want to show up for every election!

Spectrum News

Triad City Beat

WXll 12 News

The Hometown Holler

Youthful Conversations

Making Headlines

Our Founding Father Lily Oatis

Lily Oatis is the Founder of Not Just Headlines, a youth-led movement mobilizing young North Carolinians to engage in local politics.

Lily's journey started as a first-time voter in 2024, frustrated by how hard it was to find information about down-ballot candidates. Instead of skipping names on the ballot, as most people do, she spent weeks tracking down as many candidates as she could. Lily began asking questions and realizing one frustrating truth: politics is deliberately confusing, and it leaves young people out of the conversation.

That’s when she started Not Just Headlines. What began as interviewing candidates turned into a full movement: building a community of young North Carolinians who actually know who's representing them.

Ready to stop leaving your ballot half-blank?

Join the Movement