News about the 2016 presidential election has been everywhere. Whether you’re a political science major or not, I’m sure the names Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton are, at the very least, familiar to you.

I never expected that I would have to explain why voting is important to college students but unfortunately, the amount of students who have said they aren’t registered to vote or worse -- not even planning on registering to vote -- is far too high for comfort.

The ability to vote and make one’s voice heard is fundamental to democracy. It is a right that people have fought and died for. Many college students, in addition to other American citizens, have forgotten all that it took for every person in this country to have this basic right. Whether the right to vote has been taken for granted, or if it’s a lack of interest, many college students are not putting forth the effort to vote. Voter registration only takes a couple of minutes so no excuse is good enough! Sign up to vote! On November 8, all American citizens age 18 and over who have registered to vote will cast these votes to determine the next President. For some of us, the 2016 election will be our first chance to vote, ever -- our first chance to have a say!

There must be a reason why so many college students are not preparing to vote. After asking around, I found that a great number of students hate the presumed Democratic and Republican nominees: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, respectively. But if you absolutely detest the candidates, what is throwing away your vote going to do? Every American citizen of age is entitled to one vote so please use it wisely. Refusing to cast a ballot means that you have not contributed to the outcome of the election, and you aren't doing any favors for yourself or the country.

Keep in mind that while the media lens has been focused on the Republican and Democratic candidates for months, they aren’t the only political parties with candidates listed on the ballot. If you feel like Clinton and Trump are not the leadership you feel comfortable electing into office, do yourself a favor and take some time to research the third-party candidates. Perhaps one of the Independent, Libertarian, or Green Party candidates would better represent your interests in the White House and voting for one of them would be a far better alternative to not voting at all!

Beyond not liking the candidates, the other common consensus around campus showed that many of our peers don’t actually think we have a say in the election. In the United States, we elect our president indirectly -- through use of the Electoral College -- so I do understand why many students think that it doesn’t really make a difference whether we vote or not. Chances are that if you feel this way, you’re not the only one abstaining from voting simply because you don’t think it matters, or because you don’t care.

This is a problem. If college students feel that their vote doesn’t matter, then no one from our generation is voting. Hence, we have virtually no say in who becomes the next President of the United States. Whether you identify as a Republican, a Democrat, or as an Independent, it is exceedingly important to make your voice heard! There are probably hundreds of other reasons why you should vote, but I've listed five. Hopefully, these will be enough to persuade you to make your way to the polls!

It is your civic duty.

I know that sounds cliché and outdated, but it truly is your duty as a citizen to vote in elections -- especially national ones. Some countries feel so strongly about this that they legally enforce that their citizens vote. (We’re looking at you, Australia). In the United States, too many of us take this fact for granted. As a citizen you pay taxes, you attend jury duty and you should be voting, too.

When only a small percentage of our population votes, the results don’t accurately reflect what the American people want.

If the majority of young voters don’t make it to the polls, our demographic has literally no say. Under-representation is a huge problem and the only way to fix it is through voting.

Young voters could make a huge difference if they actually voted.

There are a huge number of young people in the United States that could potentially change the results of the next election. Think about it. Marist College alone has over 6,000 students! If all 6,000 students voted, that would undoubtedly contribute to the results. Alone, your vote may not make a huge difference. But together our generation can. If every college student in the United States turned out to vote, imagine the impact! This is why, besides personally registering to vote, you should encourage your friends and classmates to register too.

You may not think that our next president will affect you, but he or she will.

Many young people feel that politics doesn’t affect them, which is understandable to a certain degree. Most of us don’t own property, have children, or even our own insurance plans separate from our parents. But in the next four years, a lot will change. This time in four years, the current college freshman will be ending their senior year. The seniors will be out in the world with jobs or pursuing higher professional degrees. Some of your friends may even be traveling the world, holding impressively built-up resumes, and getting engaged (isn’t that wild?).

Beyond the drastic changes we will undergo within the next four years, the policies of the candidates will be affecting us right now. Many of us are taking out student loans, which are at the center of most candidates’ platforms. While tax reform may not mean a lot to you right now, it will in the near future. Our next president can change the atmosphere of our country, so learning about each candidate and selecting the most ideal individual is absolutely crucial.

If you don’t vote, then you are not entitled to complain about who wins.

Maybe you don’t want Donald Trump to win. Or maybe you feel strongly against Hillary Clinton. Either way, if you don’t vote and that candidate you utterly detest wins the election, don’t come complaining to me!

Interested in beginning the voter registration process? Here is a link to get you started! https://vote.usa.gov/.