I know, I know you hear this all the time, it's important to vote, it's a right we've all worked hard for blah, blah, blah.

While it may be annoying to constantly hear our parents, professors and other adults list all of the reasons why we should be going out to vote, I really do think that they have a point.

I won't lie and say that I absolutely love the candidates that we have in our current election, I feel that both of them come with their fair share of issues and flaws. However, I don't think that means that we should sit at home and ignore the election, I don't feel that the ultimate solution is simply opting out.

I also have no intention of trying to tell people or persuade people of which candidate to vote for, I feel that everybody chooses their own particular candidate for their own particular set of reasons but I do feel that voting is important.

While some people may consider voting for a third party the same as not voting at all I really feel that if a third party is the one that really calls to you and makes you want to vote you should be able to vote for that candidate shamelessly. The two party system may not be the best but it takes people speaking out and using their votes to change that.

Do research on the options you have, see what each candidate stands for and which one most accurately reflects your goals, what you learn may even surprise you. I believe that people often get stuck because they are not able to find a candidate that accurately reflects ALL of their ideas or morals and as a result choose not to vote at all. In these kinds of situations it is important to remember that candidates are people too and no two people are going to be 100% alike.

Another common thing I hear when people say they don't vote is that they "don't care" about politics or find them boring. I can commiserate with these people because I have definitely been where they were at some point in my life. But after doing some research I found myself actually becoming interested in politics. There are so many different issues to explore and understand, while you may not find yourself interested in all of them you may be surprised at what sparks your interest.

In my opinion it's not important what side you choose but rather that you use your opportunity to vote as a way to make your voice heard. Voting is an exciting and unique opportunity that we as Americans get to experience. Even if you have your mind set already please at least think twice about throwing away your vote this year.