November 8^th marks the end of this year’s election season. Currently, the polls are showing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump neck-and-neck; hence, there is currently a strong sense of division in the country. Either you are Team Trump or Team Hillary. Those who support a third party are seen as nitwits by the two major party supporters because they believe any vote for a third party is a vote against major candidate they do not support. Simply, the tension is high, and within the next few days, the tension will probably be even higher.

As the results come in on November 8^th, we as Americans need to remember two key things. One- whether Trump or Hillary wins, we are all still citizens of this great nation. It does not matter whether you vote for Trump, Clinton, a third party, or Scooby-Doo. We will still share this American land with each other. Furthermore, none of this country’s problems will be solved if we stay as divided as we currently are. We can look at the past decade and see the results of a divided nation. By staying divided, the American people have suffered, and many of their problems have remained unresolved. My favorite example is the government's lack of agreement on the Federal Budget. It feels like the Super Bowl. At some point every year, Congress has a showdown on the Federal Budget, and along with it comes Congress’s looming threat of shutting down the government. Unity and bipartisanship are key to helping this country progress forward as a nation.

The second key thing that we need do is to hold the newly elected officials accountable. Many people are affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican party. Seeing their party win any sort of government position is great, but the win is only valid if the elected officials do what they promised their supporters. Moreover, these government officials need to be held to a standard no matter the level of their position. Whether it is somebody getting onto the local school board or becoming President of the United States, it is our job to make sure these elected officials fulfill the will of the people. America cannot continue to elect officials who are not willing to do what is best for the American people.

The goal of a democracy is to allow the people to have a voice on how their country is run. In order for this to hold true, the elected government officials need to answer to the call of the people. They should look past their parties and push legislation that will make America a better place for all. So America, go out and vote on November 8^th, and bug your officials with phone calls, emails, and texts until they accomplish what they promised!