As October starts, the deadlines to register to vote in the United States are fast approaching. Many states have made it possible to register online or over the phone, and this is something that citizens of the United States should take advantage of. If you're away at college or can't make it to a poll in your residential area, it's possible to get an absentee ballot. Some states have early voting and in-person absentee voting, while most have the option of mailing a ballot to your house for you to mail back to the city clerk when finished. The general election is on Tuesday, November 8th, but absentee ballots can be excepted a lot sooner than that.

Your vote matters now more than ever. With national polls putting Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump at near-ties, the number of people who show up to vote and take the time to mail in their absentee ballots is going to matter. The future of our country is at stake. For you to vote, you don't need to be an expert on politics, you don't need to understand every single debate topic, and you don't need to be registered with a certain political party. Your right to vote only requires you to know who the candidates are, and how their platforms might affect you.

Hillary Clinton's Platform includes plans for criminal justice reform, reduction of student-debt, strengthening social security and medicare, preventing gun violence, and creating paid family leave, just to name a few. Her website lays out the details for her plans in these categories and more. Donald Trump's Platform also outlines his ideas for Trade Policies, building a wall and reforming immigration, and completely changing the health care system. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, the third party candidates, don't have as much of a backing, but they are options at the polls.

We can debate who's "more honest" and what kinds of stupid things they've done in the past, but the fact is, we need someone to lead the country who will be able to work with Congress and who will carry out the ideals of our nation. Experience in government plays a huge roll in the knowledge and wisdom that a candidate has accumulated. While there are a lot of considerations that go into who makes a better candidate for president, the average citizen does not need to know the ins-and-outs of politics to make an informed decision when voting. Watching the highlights from a debate or just reading the platforms on candidates' websites is enough to show the voter who stands for what. Everyone values certain ideas in politics differently, and so their decisions can be based on very different standards.

This is a democracy. We have a right to vote, while many other countries see tremendous problems at the polls; people wait in lines for hours to cast their vote or they face dangerous situations to get to the polls. In the United States, it is easier in many places. We can ask for absentee ballots and go to the polls near our homes. Some states even allow early voting.

It's not just the president we are voting for. We are voting for state representatives and city-held positions as well as state ballot questions. Many states have the question of legalizing marijuana on their ballots this election season. We have a responsibility to participate in our democracy.

This election could change a lot of policy, and voters need to understand, at least a little bit, what's at stake.