With the Presidential Race in full swing and election day getting closer, you may find yourself avoiding the difficult question of "are you going to vote this year?”
For me, this is NOT a difficult question. The answer is yes. Yes, yes, yes. Voting is not only my constitutional right, but is my opportunity to use my voice and to play a part in determining who is responsible for the future of our country.
I have never been a person who is intensely into politics, but this year, being my first year I am able to vote, I have chosen to educate myself regarding the candidates from which I can choose to be the leader of my country. After learning many things about all four candidates, I have come to the conclusion in which many others have also come to - I truly don't like any of them.
After coming to this conclusion, I came to my second one: I don't like either candidate, but I am still going to vote.
Even though the Republican and Democratic candidates are not what many would consider ideal, one of the two will be elected to lead the United States. Now is the time for you to educate yourself and choose. I know it is easy to say, "I don't like either, I just won't vote" or "We're screwed either way.” You are correct. With either of the leading candidates being elected as President of the United States, there will be issues, promises unkept, and flaws in the system. But that should NOT keep you from voting.
However, it's important that you know EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE VOTING FOR. This cannot be stressed enough - Educate Yourself.
Think about the political issues that are important to you. If you are anything like me, determining your personal views and researching "political issues" is not the definition of fun times, but the more I researched, the more I realized there are some issues that I truly care about without even knowing I did.
Consider your views on the important issues, like abortion, immigration, health care, trade, etc. These are important issues that each candidate has a difference stance and different plan that can sway your opinion and make you question the right candidate for you. Do NOT vote for a candidate because you agree with one of their opinions. Research. Educate yourself. Be sure you agree with a generous portion of the candidate’s plans before you decide you want him or her to lead your country. If you want to see where each of the candidates stand regarding important issues, visit http://2016election.procon.org/view.source-summary.
By educating yourself and getting familiar with the stances that each candidate takes, your decision will most likely become much easier. It is incredibly important to remember that you can vote for whomever YOU want to vote for. Do NOT let other people sway your opinion. You do not have to vote for the same person your parents or friends are voting for. Forming your own opinion is completely okay and in reality, nobody has to know who you are voting for but you.
If you are still unsure who to vote for, visit sites that will walk you through the process, such as http://www.isidewith.com. This website allows you to take a quiz regarding where you stand on key political issues and tells you which presidential candidate most closely matches your opinions, and helps you choose. Your results may completely surprise you or may be exactly what you expect. Either way, please find your local polling location and fill out the ballot to vote.
November 8th will be here before we know it. Please realize that you are important. This decision is important. Voting is important.
