Most college undergraduates are the age of 18 and above -- sorry to all of you youngins born late 1998. And because most of us are 18 and above we participate in the great American tradition of voting. Or not. In the 2012 election, voter turnout for the 18-29 age demographic was 40%. Out of all of the other age ranges, ours was the lowest. It is not that we do not care about who is president or who is not. I mean then how will we get weed legalized? It is not that we are not registered? Though our voter registration process requires people to use snail mail and is a little outdated -- and it is not that we do not think our vote matters. In a country with lobbying groups and big business play a bigger role in the election process than the actual candidates, who would think that? It is a combination of all those factors. However, for the small amount of college undergraduates who are registered to vote (1 in 14 at California PolyTech Institute) here are some quick guidelines to help you through this year’s election season.
- Watch the debates.
And when I say watch, I mean watch the actual debates hosted on Fox and CNN, not the recap on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Everyone knows those recaps are hilarious and all but if you want to get to know every candidate and their platform, watch the debates.
2) Do not use Facebook quizzes to determine your political party
Or any online quizzes for that matter. I know I am guilty of taking a few of those myself. But if you want to actually understand the two main political parties that make up our system, do some research. Look at the history of what they were founded on. I bet most of us “liberal” college students fall under the independent category. 
3) Do not vote for who your friends are voting for
It is expected that all college students will vote for Bernie because we are super left winged. Most college students will probably vote for Bernie because they know everyone else is. However, if you want to cast your vote do it for someone you more about than what has been told to you by others. We are not high schoolers anymore.
4) Vote in the primaries 
There is this unfortunate belief that individual votes do not matter. And this can be seen in how little people vote in the primaries. So stop saying your vote does not matter and vote. Especially when it is for your political party’s representative.
5) Pick the right state.
As a native New Yorker, I know my state will always be blue. However, as a CWRU undergraduate I will be in Ohio during this election season. Ohio is a swing state. I am registered to vote in Ohio because I know my vote will matter more. If you choose your home state do not forget to send in the absentee ballot.
6) VOTE
The statistics do not lie. The younger generation has the lowest voter turnout and we are the ones who will most likely be affected by the presidential policies directly. Our votes matter and who sits in the oval office for the next four years will affect our lives directly. Let us make sure it is someone we admire and see as a leader for us to follow -- aka not Donald Trump.
