Some people argue that the political process is too convoluted for the American people to have any power in Presidential elections, but I believe that voting is a key component in making society's voice heard in the capital.

However, regardless of where one stands on this issue, almost all will agree that one's choice of political affiliation should be based on that person's own views beyond just what they, their peers or family induce one to follow. This seems like common sense, but if you had asked me when I first voted in 2012 why I was a registered Republican, I honestly don't know if I could have come up with a genuine answer. Four years later, I have since reevaluated where I stand on the political spectrum, and how I came to my determination; it was a strange road and I still have some detours ahead, but it serves as an insight into how the evolution and polarization of the Republican and Democratic parties have influenced the political views of one Millennial.

Back in first grade, I remember vividly talking on the telephone with one of my best friends. The 2000 Presidential Election was coming up and she asked me if my parents were Democrats because her's were. I told her no — mine were Republicans, but I didn't know why. After that phone call I asked my parents why they were Republicans; their response was that they were part of the party that stood against slavery during the Civil War. I know now that the parties that existed in the 19th century were completey different than those that share their names today, and that my parents actually supported the Republican party because of its support for a small government. However, given that they were faced with a curious 6-year-old, I applaud their ability to give me a digestible answer. What I didn't realize at the time was that this seemingly trivial moment in my childhood stood as the source of my conscious assumption that I was a Republican as well.

Flash forward to the weeks leading up to the 2004 election; now in fifth grade, I obviously had an informed view of the world, at least on some level. While I was hanging out by the swings during recess with some of my classmates, we began talking about the election. Most of my peers also had Republican parents, but one of the coolest girls in my class said that though her dad told his colleagues that he was Republican in order to be accepted by his colleagues, he was in fact a dedicated Democrat. Well, wouldn't you know that I quickly became an ardent supporter of John Kerry in that minute — a fifth grader's social standing is just much more important than staying true to one's roots.

So, as we lined up to return to our classroom, we asked our teacher Mr. Smith if he was going to vote for Bush or Kerry. He wouldn't tell us, but rather than dividing our line into boys and girls, this time he said to line up based on who we wanted to be the next President. All of the girls that I had been talking to leaped to the side supporting Kerry, myself included, but Mr. Smith stayed in front of the Bush side. Again my mind was torn; Mr. Smith was another great role model and if he was a Republican like my parents, maybe I should still be one. Though I kept up that I wanted Kerry to win, guilt made me secretly relieved when I found out that Bush won instead. What I didn't know, though, was why I felt guilty at all, or more importantly, why Kerry and Bush were so different.

The 2008 election didn't leave an astounding impact on my memory like the previous two, but it was the first Presidential election that I voted in. No, it was not the actual election ... I was only 15, but my high school set up two voting machines in our common area so that the students could get a sense of what it was like to vote. I didn't really know the issues that were prominent in the election or where the two candidates stood on them; actually, all I knew was that my Dad was voting for McCain and my mom wasn't sure where she stood, and that a lot of my peers were very outright with who they thought should win, mainly citing the reasons that clearly were told to them by their parents. Ultimately, I cast my vote for McCain, and though I wish I could explain with conviction why, the truth is that as an elderly war veteran he reminded me of my grandfather. I would trust my grandpa's decision unfailingly, so I figured McCain's choices could likewise be trusted without a doubt. I felt confused when our headmaster announced that the high school voted Obama "into office," but I didn't think about it too long; I wasn't actually voting in the real election and as far as I was concerned, a single president wouldn't really make or break my future.

Finally a freshman in college and more importantly, finally 18, I could officially vote in the 2012 election between Obama and Romney. Fortunately, my parents raised me to consider voting a natural obligation that every adult has; not to vote was not really an option in my mind. Unfortunately, I still was hopelessly ignorant in terms of knowing the candidates, their views, and, even worse, my own perspective. A lot of my freshman hallmates were devout in their political views, but I honestly still couldn't really fathom the points of contention between the Republicans and Democrats; watching debates only boggled my mind more and reading up on the two opponents didn't help because I didn't have any background knowledge of the actual issues in question. Without any clear direction, I fell back on my parents' political affiliation, and as I assumed, my own, and voted for Romney, but again, I didn't mind having Obama as President the past four years, so I was just as happy to have him return to office for the next four.

Between then and now, I have become more interested in politics and current affairs. I have a better understanding of the United States in its foreign, economic, and domestic contexts and have been able to develop views of my own, some of which align with my parents' and some that do not. Still registered as a Republican, I found myself torn between voting in the primaries for the candidate that will do the least damage over the next four years and voting for the candidate that I thought would be the least likely to garner enough votes when pitted against the democratic candidate. Earlier this week, I watched the first democratic debate for the 2016 election and left it eager to see if certain candidates would get boosts in their rankings. It was then that I came to the conclusion that it was time for me to switch parties; as a Democrat, I would have the chance to help support the candidate whom I want to become President and foresee myself supporting whomever becomes the official Democratic candidate for the 2016 presidency.

So why have I decided to write about my 20 years of political ignorance?

It's because without having any idea about what the differences were or what the beliefs are for the two foremost political parties, I was ingrained to accept that I was either a Republican OR a Democrat.

What I've realized since is that I am neither and am both.

Given the increase in polarization of both parties, this might seem to an outsider an impossible position in which to be, but I think many people are actually in this same situation. I was raised by Republican parents and, as such, have been raised to see the benefits of having a government that is small and non-encroaching. But my beliefs on many social issues follow those of Democratic candidates.

So what does this mean?

It means that though I was raised in an environment where everyone was part of one party or the other, I will not be able to conform to either fully. I foresee myself tackling each major election with the present circumstances in mind; what issue is wreaking the most havoc on our nation? Is a war being fought? Are we in a good or bad economic state? Depending on if the major problems are stemming from foreign, economic, or social spheres, I may, and probably will vote along different party lines. Twenty years ago, it may have been easier to define part of one's identity through one's political affiliation, but to me today, parties are separated by too vast a gulf for me to feel comfortable allying myself to just one point of view.

Ultimately what I've learned is that society may be too caught up in the riff between the Democrats and the Republicans to actually think about the underlying contentions and their own positions on them; being more aware of this fact may sometimes yield outcomes that diverge from my own outlook, but at least they will the result of thought out decisions based on logic, not just on hollow words.