The 2018 midterm election has concluded. Results are still coming in and the ones that have already concluded not everyone is pleased about. My first time voting was two years ago for the Presidential election. I was excited, worried, confused, and intrigued all in the span of a couple of hours while the tallies were being counted to elect the next president.

I grew up with both parents never voting. Politics was a mum topic within the household. My mom voted once when she was my age now, and the second time in 2008. The fact that I have voted the same amount of times in a two-year span versus my mom's forty year span still boggles my mind. My dad voted for the first time in 2008. He was in his forties and had never voted before. Politics were rarely discussed and when it was, it was short and not very informative.

It wasn't until I was in high school during the Presidential election of 2012 when I started to think more into politics and started thinking about when I would be able to vote. I had the group of friends in high school that never wanted to talk about politics for fear of hurting someone's feelings. It wasn't until I started spending more of my time with the school's newspaper crowd and the older classed theater people that I was truly able to talk about politics. I should mention that to this day I still don't prefer to discuss politics over other topics, but if there is an election coming I won't shy away from the conversation.

In 2012 I saw how divided the nation was becoming over the election. Both sides trying to rationalize why they are right and the other is wrong. Don't even get me started on the political television commercials at that time. That all being said, with all the drama that was coming about from that election, I wanted part of it. I wanted to have my voice in the ring, even though legally it didn't have any pull for another four years.

Then came my time to shine in 2016. I researched all the propositions. I registered for an early ballot. I was ready to go. I made it a point to talk about the president elects with both sides of the political spectrum. The farther away from my own personal view the better. I wanted to know why they thought the way they did. I wanted to know why their views differed from my own. At the end of it all, or especially if the conversation turned more into an argument, I would end with, "Agree to disagree." Some people might think this is just an easy way to get out of a conversation. You are correct. I don't like arguing with someone who won't willing listen to what I have to say to see from my perspective and thinks that their way is the only way. It's normal and human to disagree with someone. If everyone agreed upon everything, I know for a fact we would not be here right now. The world would go to chaos.

Some of my best friends are the polar opposite of the political spectrum specifically because they challenge my thoughts. They make me think more and farther outside of my normal box.

As for why I vote, there are three reasons.

1. I vote so I can know more about the world.

Like I mentioned previously, I research fairly extensively prior to casting my ballot. I want to know for a fact that what I vote on will help not only me in the future but generations after mine as well. The propositions on the ballot for this year's midterm election in Arizona deal with school funding, pensions, renewable energy usage, and taxes. Every single one of those would affect the future of Arizona. I research each proposition to see why I should vote "yes" or why I should vote "no." If I cannot come up with a valid reasoning for my vote, I go back and do more research.

2. I vote to learn more about people.

I know this might seem like a strange concept but it's correct. Someone's true colors will come out when they are in the heat of the moment talking about politics. People who would never talk about politics on any given day start talking about politics. You can find out that someone who you thought had the same political standing as you is actually completely opposite from you. I had that happen to me this year. We are still friends by the way. Mainly because I didn't vocalize my political standing at the time, so we'll see how that goes. Some of the best conversations that I have ever had have been about comparing political viewpoints.

3. I VOTE SO I CAN COMPLAIN!

I am a firm believer that if you did not vote, you cannot complain about the results of the election. You did not do all the long nights of research to determine your vote. You did not spend long conversations trying to prove a point only to end with "agree to disagree." You didn't have to wake up early in the morning to go turn in your ballot before going to school and work the remainder of the day. You didn't have to try and encourage others to vote because you know the importance of being a young voter. You complain because you want to be heard. If you want your voice heard, vote. There so many reasons why you should vote, and no legitimate reason you should not vote unless you are physically unable to do so.

It shall be interesting to see how the results of this election pan out and will equate to change for the next few years.