This election is nuts. We have the cool old grandpa, an ex-first lady who may or may not have broken the law by sending out classified information, someone the Internet thinks is the zodiac killer and a loud-mouthed business man who's never actually worked in politics. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, because I am a huge advocate of individual opinion and choice. What I am going to do though, is help you decide who you want to vote for. So here are some things to think about when voting in this years election.

Are they passionate about what you're passionate about?

Everyone has their own experiences which give them different views on different issues. This means you want someone who you feel acknowledges your feelings. If you feel passionately about illegal immigrants and want them to pay for a wall to keep them out of the land of the free, then find the candidate that speaks passionately about that. If your family has had rough economic times and you feel that minimum wage should be raised because your parents work too hard to be barely make ends meet, then vote for the candidate who wants to raise minimum wage. It really is just about finding the candidate that you think is saying what aligns with your opinions and passions.

Have you gone to their website and read their policies?

I get that watching the debates is fun and is ideally informative, but you really can't understand the candidates policies if they're yelling at each other on stage. Every candidate has a website (even the businessman whose never been involved in politics) where you can see where they stand on all the issues that are relevant right now. Sometimes they can be hard to understand, especially if you're not big on politics and you're a freshman in college. Just ask those around you, like your parents or even your professors. They're more likely to explain everything in a way that is easy to understand.

Do they stand with your morals?

This is huge. Everyone was raised a certain way and has a certain set of ideals. If a candidate speaks against your morals, but you like him because they speak their mind, do not vote for them. You would think this was common sense, but you'd be surprised. Just please make sure you understand that everything they say, they say for a reason. So if they say they're against abortion and you're for it, do not look past something that is against your morals.

Do you think they can get done what they're saying they will?

What a lot of people don't understand is that the President can only pass bills if congress backs them. So while the presidential election is extremely important because the President is who represents our country, the midterm elections are even more important. When the midterm elections roll around, make sure that you also educate yourself on those candidates' stances as well. They are the ones who make amendments to bills and decide if they pass or not, so they're the ones to yell at if the Presidents' policies don't go through.

Of course there are more factors, but these are the biggest red flags. In the primary, you have to vote with your party, but in the general election, you don't have to. If you don't like one candidate, vote for their opponent. Do not limit yourself to your party. Whatever you do, make sure to vote. This election is very important and your opinion does matter. Make sure you educate yourself and you think about every possibility you have. Happy voting!