Whether you watch the news or not, I’m sure nearly all of you have seen the campaign commercials and know who is running for President. And only if you live under a rock have you not heard which two candidates are nearly running away with the nominations this past Super Tuesday. Nowadays anyone should know this information just from simply going on the internet. Any information we could ever want, including politics, is right on our social media networks or email homepage.

Since all of this information is so easily accessible, the problem does not arise with retrieving it, but rather when people don’t do anything with it. Meaning they don’t create opinions on it or even care to do so. Sure they know who is running, but they don’t know what they stand for, where they are in the polls, or sometimes don’t even know what side they're on. This year's election will be one of the biggest in America's recent history. The candidates, no matter who wins the nomination, from both parties could not be farther apart on the political spectrum. There are many controversial issues currently being debated around the country. Most people know how they feel about these topics, but if they don’t go vote for those that share their views, they are not a part of the outcome. Voting is such a simple action, yet election after election thousands of people decide not to go cast their ballot.

I see it all of the time. Many young people and even some older generations don’t keep themselves informed because they believe it does not involve them, or worse, would not make a difference. The truth is, the decision to elect someone involves and affects all of us. No matter what gender, race, or even citizenship status, we are all affected by the decisions made in the big white building in Washington. Another big issue that arises with voting, in particular, are the reasons people vote. It is not intelligent to vote for someone simply because of their gender or race.

This is why it is important to make sure those that share your opinions are a part of those decisions. However, in order to do so you must first formulate your own opinions on these issues. Whether you side with the democrats, republicans, liberals, or conservatives, it is important to get educated on the things that matter most to you and match them with the politicians that feel the same way. Better yet, get talking to people about your views on today's big issues, likely it will cause others to starting looking into things and, hopefully, they will go out and do the same thing.

So go read some articles, watch the news, and speak your mind on social networks. This year is a big year for America. Make sure you’re included on the big decisions.