I know there's a lot of people out there who aren't happy with 2016's Presidential Election cycle, and I can understand that. For a lot of Americans the two-party system often feels a little limited when we're discussing our future as a country, and even those who are fans of the two-party system may not like what candidates there are to elect this year. I'm not here to push you one way or another--I've made my choice, and I respect your choice to vote your conscience on Election Day. Instead, I've got an even easier request to fulfill: please go vote.
There are a ton of articles floating around on the Odyssey right now that explain why one student or another is choosing not to vote, and while I understand why people are frustrated or apathetic towards this election, I still think that it is deeply important to exercise our right to have our voices heard in the government. It wasn't all that long ago that certain groups of Americans were not allowed to vote, and even today there are millions of people around the world whose voices are silenced when they try to have a say in the political proceedings of their home governments. The idea of sitting this election out--especially because it has the capacity to be a deeply historical vote, with a possibility of electing the first female president in US history--is one that I respectfully but vehemently suggest ignoring. Even if you're voting in a state that is staunchly Democrat or staunchly Republican, where it may feel futile to cast a vote, showing up to cast your ballot is important: after all, how do you think those states got to be that way?
But, you may say, it's already almost election day! How am I supposed to know who to vote for?
Well, my friend, that's where you're in luck. With podcasts like FiveThirtyEight, websites like OnTheIssues.org and InsideGov, and entire tests designed to gauge which candidate your beliefs align with on websites like ISideWith.com, the information you need to make an informed vote is easily accessible right at your fingertips. Replace an episode of The Crown with a little soul-searching (and internet searching), and the best candidate for you (even if they're not the ideal candidate) will become clear.
Once we turn eighteen in the US and become capable of voting, we take on the responsibility of speaking for what kind of future we want for ourselves and for our world. This sounds like a big job, and one that might not be very fun if we aren't big fans of the candidates we're voting for, but take heart; making an informed vote is as easy as a click of a mouse and click of a pen, and with these small actions you have the ability to help mold our future.
