The United States Presidential Election is now a few days away. As an American citizen, you have been granted a right to vote. The ability to vote in our democratic nation is not just a privilege; voting is our civic duty. Our predecessors fought like hell to establish a democracy and for over two centuries, many groups of people fought to make this statement hold more true than it initially did in its’ inception in 1776, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (United States Declaration of Independence, 1776).

As a newly declared nation, there were very few individuals in the United States of America who actually met the prerequisites to vote. Initially, only male land owners (who were predominantly white and Protestants) were able to vote. Women could not vote. Most African Americans could not vote. The movement for women's right to vote began in the 1840s, but women in this country could not vote until 1920. Women's suffrage in the United States was 80 years in the making. Don’t allow their decades of efforts and struggles for the freedom to vote be in vain.

The election is down to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Sorry, but that’s just the way it is. Hillary's former opponent Bernie Sanders himself has urged his supporters to vote for Hillary Clinton and not write in his name, because he knows that won't work. Your vote matters. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to silence your voice; to silence your beliefs, opinions, and values.

Many of you are familiar with Donald Trump’s turbulent temperament. The way he conducts himself is appropriate for a reality TV show. The flippant manner in which he discusses serious issues, namely our national security, is reason alone that he shouldn't be President. The President of the United States is also the Commander in Chief. Donald Trump's statements about nuclear weapons are indication enough that he should never have his hand on the button. He even said he would be willing to use nuclear weapons against our nation's allies...

Donald Trump has no place in the White House. He has no political experience. A common counter-argument is that he's a "great" businessman. Do "great" businessmen have businesses that are forced to file for bankruptcy six times? Do "great" businessmen refuse to pay their own workers?

On the other hand, Hillary Clinton has a plethora of experience in politics: she attended Yale Law School, worked as an attorney and served on a congressional legal council before becoming the First Lady of Arkansas. She then went on to become the First Lady of the United States, a United States Senator, and U.S. Secretary of State.

Hillary Clinton’s email ‘scandal’ has continued to overshadow her campaign. But for some reason, Donald Trump's numerous sexual assault and rape allegations haven't had the same negative impact on his campaign. In fact, most of his supporters have brushed them off. Donald Trump thinks he treats women better than his fellow candidates? Watch this video below:

Donald doesn't respect women. Not one bit. #debatenight pic.twitter.com/p6OwRqdCLl
— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) September">https://twitter.com/TheDemocrats/status/7805970240... 27, 2016

Barack Obama’s campaign slogan from 2008 really caught on, particularly with younger voters: “Change We Can Believe In.” His platform largely focused on change. Even though Congress contained a higher percentage of Republicans, the majority of whom opposed most (if not all) proposed policies, President Obama persevered and became a proponent for change. In 2012, President Obama was the first U.S. President (currently in office) to voice his support for same-sex marriage. In June of 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide.

Change cannot and will not be implemented by refraining from voting and ignoring what is truly at stake in this election: not only the future of our country, but the future of our world.

If you think that by choosing not to vote, you aren’t responsible for the outcome of the election, you are mistaken. The missing votes from people who decide not to vote could very well be the determining factor of this election.

By choosing to abstain from voting, you have no place to complain about the outcome of the election. By choosing not to vote, you are surrendering your voice. Don't believe me? Maybe you'll believe First Lady Michelle Obama.

Don't be silent. Don't be apathetic. Go out and vote.

I’ll leave you with this quote: “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Still on the fence about voting? Please refer to these links below: