The heated spectacle that we call the United States presidential election process is now in full swing. With 20-plus Democrats and two Republicans currently fighting for the coveted position, debates and marketing campaigns are cropping up everywhere.

Most of us can agree that the state of politics in the United States is currently in disarray. Whether you are in favor of President Trump or not, Democrat, Republican, Green, whatever... political divisions and tensions have reached a new level.

This particular time is when we, the citizens, are supposed to start paying attention to learn about the candidates. But time and time again, I hear too many people say, "I don't care" or "the president doesn't really matter anyway."

Excuse me?

How could you not care? Sure, the president doesn't do everything, and local elections do impact you more directly. However, the president is a pretty big deal.

The president appoints a shit ton of people to work for them during their term, including supreme court justices who can hold their position if they want. The president holds executive power and can pardon federal offenses. Congress does have to approve their choices most of the time, but that's still a lot of power for one person to have.

You care about the laws that govern your existence, right? So, you should care about every part of our government - including who's president.

There's a reason why there are so many debates leading up to an election. Candidates create platforms and make promises so that you're informed about their views because, for the next four years, they're the figurehead of our country.

The president visits with other figureheads around the world, representing our country, setting the bar for our relationships others.

OK so maybe you care, but not enough to do your research. You think watching the same news channel a few times a week will provide all the information you need. You're one step ahead, but here's the thing: uneducated voting is like buying a used car without test driving it or knowing its previous history. It looks great upon purchase, but by the time you figure out what it's really made of and how it runs…it's too late.

Voting without proper information on the candidates and the voting process itself is almost as bad as not voting at all because your vote will be misrepresented.

In short: start educating yourself now. Dedicate even 10 minutes per week on researching candidates so by the time the election comes around next year, you're ready to go. It's just as important — maybe even more so than before — to let your political voice be heard.