Admission of bias: Responsible journalism is a priority for the author, so she would like to state openly that she is distinctly opposed to a Donald Trump presidency. The voting information below is from neutral, bi-partisan sources wherever possible. The statement under the "Why" section reflects the author's opinion.
As college students, many of us are probably over our heads between our schoolwork and our part-time jobs at this time of year. Take a few minutes to answer these who, what, when, where, and why questions to make sure your voting experience will be surprise-free on Tuesday. If possible, make an appointment in your phone and enter the location and notes on your local politicians of choice.
Who?
If you’re like most Americans, you already know which presidential candidate you are voting for on Tuesday. However, you may not have as firm an opinion on candidates for state positions such as Attorney General, State Representative, and State Senator. The best way to change our options for president is to carefully consider which candidates we support for local positions.
Ballotpedia is a good place to start to get an overview of local candidates. If you have more time, you can explore the candidates’ personal websites and search for their voting records.
What?
If you’ve voted before, you have this part covered. If you’re a first-time voter like me, here’s a good overview of what to expect at the polls and what to bring. My own tip: don’t worry. Although there is speculation about harassment at the polls this year, it’s just that --speculation. It is your right to vote. Don’t allow yourself to be swayed by fear.
When and Where?
To find your specific voting time window and location, go to this webpage and find your state or territory. When you determine the location and the best time for you to visit the polls, make it an appointment in your phone. If you are nervous, see if you can get a friend from your same voting district to accompany you. If you do end up at the wrong place on Election Day, please don’t be shy. There are volunteers at the polls to help you. My father-in-law has been one of those volunteers in his municipality. The volunteers will want to redirect you, not make you feel badly for being confused.
Why?
Why should you vote? This is a historic election. We are in danger of having a Commander in Chief who exhibits many dangerous tendencies. He exhibits many similarities in ideology to Adolf Hitler (I briefly touched on this topic in my article Those Who Don't Know History are Doomed to Repeat It). He discriminates against people based solely on their religion, which is distinctly anti-American. We have all seen his bizarre promises to build an extremely expensive wall between the US and Mexico. Furthermore, he has an undeserved reputation as a good businessman when in fact he doesn't always pay his workers and started his ventures into the business world with a loan of at least $1 million dollars and his family as a safety net. I am admittedly cynical, but I find it doubtful that someone from such a background who doesn’t even pay his workers is really concerned about the average person’s struggles. It baffles me that so many people think Trump is going to “make America great again” when he is so out of touch with reality that he thinks his celebrity status excuses him from sexually assaulting women.
For the record, if you are set on voting for Donald Trump, I still wish you a safe and smooth voting experience. My wish is for peace, and both my research and intuition tells me a Donald Trump presidency will take us even further from peace than we already are.
Now stop reading this article and go tie up any loose ends in your voting plan.
