Register to vote!

Many people take the right to vote for granted. The United States of America is built on democracy and the freedom to choose our political leaders. Remember how we didn't like the whole king thing, and the excessive taxes? Well thanks to the Revolutionary War, you GET to vote for candidates who determine tax laws, as well as social and economic freedoms. 

People have fought over the right to vote, from Civil Rights activists to Susan B. Anthony. In fact, over 40% of the world's countries do not give their citizens the right to vote and only 14.5% of the world's people have freedom of speech. So let your voice be heard this Election Day! Below are three common voting myths and how to overcome them.

Myth #1

"My vote isn't that important."

Your vote is totally important! All politics is local and 2014 is a midterm election year. That means all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 100 seats in the Senate will be contested, as well as 38 states governorships. It's a huge deal. 

Many people think that the Presidential election years are the most important to vote in, but presidential elections tend to be where your individual vote get lost in the grand scheme of things. However, your state and local officials are the ones who make the decisions that affect your every day life as well as your future. This election could change the make up of the entire legislative body, which will affect which legislations gets pushed through or not. 

A lot of people don't vote because their state or county is overwhelmingly consistent to one party and they think their vote won't matter, but local elections are the most easily influenced by the individual voter. Why give up your right to your opinion, even if you're overwhelmed by a majority? This makes the votes of individuals from swing states even more important this year as well.

Only 41% of people ages 18-24 vote, and only during presidential election years. Voting young is so important because who is elected will determine job availability, financial aid for higher education for public universities, and tax laws for when we enter the real world. It's so easy to be apathetic as a young college student and think voting does not affect us. By the time we realize the political impacts of our legislators, it will be too late to change anything for another few years.

Myth #2

"Registering to vote is too inconvenient." 

It's just a two page form to fill out with your name and address. Then you send it to the mailing address for your state. I've even made it easy for you and attached the pdf with the application below. If you are in college you can vote absentee and don't even have to get out of bed on election day. All you have to do is google 'Vote absentee in (insert your states name here)" and you can print another two page form telling your local government your current address to send the ballot to. You pick your candidate and sign it and send the ballot back. You can do all of these forms in 5 minutes tops. Maybe 6 if you forget your zip code or your middle name.

http://www.eac.gov/assets/1/Documents/Federal%20Vo...

Myth #3

"I don't know anything about politics" or "I don't like any of the candidates."

This myth might be the only somewhat valid excuse. If you're going to vote please please please, don't vote for someone just because your friends support them. You know your values, so vote for the person or person representing the party that best represents your views. You can educate yourself by going to the party platform websites, or the websites of candidates. However, it is difficult to sift through the media to find unbiased and true information. It takes some time to read different sources on the politicians running for office and not everyone has the time to listen to candidates' speeches and research issues. Besides, what politician actually keeps their promises anyways?

Well the truth is one of the candidates will be in office, like it or not. It's like a multiple choice question where you have to choose the BEST answer. No one can predict the future, so make an educated guess about who will do the best job representing you in government. Pick the least of the evils if it comes to that. I don't know about you, but I don't want to not vote and, in effect, let other people choose who represents me. 

Voting is part of being American and is one of the easiest ways to impact the community you live in. Register to vote today and invest in your future!