As November approaches, voters are faced with choosing between two of the most disliked candidates in history and we're being told that they're our only options. The two party system has placed us in between a rock and a hard place and has convinced us that this is the only way.

There are democrats who were "Bernie or Bust" and now are voting for Clinton not because they particularly support her, but because they despise Trump. The same ideology goes for some Republicans who favored one of the many other nominees, except they're voting Trump because they despise Hillary. Now of course there are people voting for these candidate because they actually support them but polls show those numbers are at record lows for the parties. Many educated voters dread this upcoming election because they feel their ability to vote for what they believe in is being stolen from them and they're left to vote for what's better in a bad situation.

So what do you do if the candidate that you despise wins, or if you equally dislike both candidates?

Vote in your local elections! I cannot stress how important and impactful it is for educated voters to participate in state elections. Everyone is encouraged to vote in general elections, which is great, but votes in the general election do not directly elect the president. Your vote in local elections does directly elect your mayor, congressmen, governor and many other local officials.Congress wields the power to make laws, amend the constitution, declare war, and this power is often ignored by the public.When you wonder why certain laws and bills haven't been passed, it isn't often the fault of the President (though many times people believe it is), it's usually the fault of a deadlocked congress, too concerned with appeasing their party to put aside their differences and do whats best for their constituents. If we utilized our votes to change congress, remove congressmen and women who don't represent their district well, and have held their position for decades, we can make the changes this country has been long over due for.

Whatever the results this November, you can still use your vote to impact this country and I encourage all potential voters out there to become educated on local matters, look out for upcoming local elections, and use your privilege as an American citizen to vote.