The 2016 Presidential Election is one week away, that's right, every scandal, debate, twitter fight, and the political debacle over the past year have led up to this one crucial question: who will be the 45th President of the United States? The answer to that is up to you, and the only way you can have a say in the answer is by voting on Tuesday, November 8th, 2016. Now, a current debate I have seen on social media in the past two weeks is the question of whether or not you should vote if you do not support any of the major or third-party candidates. The answer is yes, and here's why:
1. Vote For The Candidate Who Matches Most Of Your Views!
Currently, the two primary candidates are Hillary Clinton of the Democratic party, and Donald Trump of the Republican Party. They are competing against two third-party candidates, Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, and Jill Stein of the Green Party. You may find, at a glance, that you don't side with any of these candidates. Whether that's due to foreign policy, economic views, social beliefs, or their character as a human being, is up to you, but there is an excellent and accurate way you can find out where your beliefs stand with each candidate! Isidewith.com is a website which asks you for your views on different social, economic, environmental, foreign, etc. policies. From there, it matches you to each candidate with a percent value of how much your views match theirs. It's an excellent way of carefully analyze your current political stance, and to see who you should vote for on November 8th!
2. The Election Is NOT Rigged!
Donald Trump has tried to inspire conspiracy that the election and the media are rigged against him. In response, over the past few weeks, Republican leaders, the Hillary Clinton Campaign, Democratic leaders, and President Obama have argued against this; emphasizing the election's fairness and how doubt in the security and integrity of the election could lead to a much larger problem. Mr. Trump has also stated at a rally in Delaware, Ohio that he will accept the results of the election - if he wins. This took place after the third presidential debate where he was asked by moderator Chris Wallace if he will accept the results of the election, even if he loses, his answer was vague and unclear. It is important for voters to know that the election is NOT rigged, so get out there and vote!
3. Millions of Americans Have Already Voted!
Early voter turnout this year has been outstanding! According to an article by NPR, it is expected that 34-40% of registered American voters will vote early this election year! You may be asking yourself why that matters, and the answer is simple: your voice matters. Not only has an interest in the election spiked in comparison to recent election years, but millennial interest has grown exponentially as the millennial generation is now the largest generation populating the United States. Whether or not you are a millennial, I implore you to take the opportunity to vote and represent your voice!
4. Change!
A large focus of this election has been the need for change. In the early stages of the election, Bernie Sanders, Mrs. Clinton's main competition, advocated for change as the focus of his campaign. Currently, Mr. Sanders is working with Mrs. Clinton to come up with different proposals that will create a bridge for those who are "Bernie or Bust." Mr. Trump, in his campaign, has also chosen to advocate for change - however, both candidates have extremely different views on what changes must occur. Circling back to reason 1, a great way to measure what you want to change is to take the "I Side With" survey and see who has promised to match those changes. It's important to vote for who you think will serve effectively and work collaboratively to bring change to a system which many citizens and politicians alike think is flawed.
5. Democracy; Exercise Your RIGHT to VOTE!
While this is common knowledge, I find that it's important to reference, in terms of this election, that the United States Government functions as a democracy. The main philosophy of a democratic government is that the people have the right to choose. Since the writing of the Constitution, multiple amendments have been made to suit the changing needs and adjustment of rights of people in the United States. In 2016, ANY AND ALL UNITED STATES CITIZENS HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. I implore you to exercise your right to vote and make sure that your voice is heard in this election!
