Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 is a day that everyone should mark on their calendars. Election day. This upcoming presidential election is undoubtedly one of the most publicized, tumultuous, and to some, concerning elections that America has been faced with in quite some time.
Many Americans, either love one of the candidates, hate one of them, or simply are so distraught they have decided that like neither of the front-running candidates for either party. The presidential candidates have many Americans anxiously biting their nails in anticipation of what's to come. Unfortunately, as a result of this fear, many people have already decided against voting in November.
This however, poses an even bigger problem in the election. By neglecting to vote simply because you dislike either of the candidates, you are simultaneously helping out the candidate that you favor the least, because you aren't contributing to the competing candidate by giving them your vote either. Now, I'm not saying that you have to vote simply for the sake of voting. An ignorant vote isn't much better than no vote at all.
Politics is a very confusing, controversial subject and it would be nearly impossible to keep up with every single issue that a candidate speaks about, and what their stance is about each subject. However, if many Americans collectively decide against voting for this election, we are essentially giving up our voice. And regardless of how "bad" all of the potential candidates may seem right now, still doesn't discount the fact that this is an important election.
Yes, one of these people is most likely going to be running our country for the next four years. And believe it or not, thats a pretty big deal. Especially if someone ill-suited for the job becomes president, simply because Americans were too lazy and ignorant to bother having an informed vote.
Although the electoral college ultimately allocates the majority of electoral votes (270) that decides who becomes the president, the outcome of the vote in every state determines the electors. Depending on the state, the electors may or may not have to cast their vote that corresponds to the popular majority vote in their given state. Yet in order for there to be a majority within your state, it is imperative that you vote for your candidate of choice.
Therefore, I urge everyone who is registered to vote to start becoming informed about the upcoming election, in order to make an educated decision in November. Regardless of whether you support Bernie Sanders, Hilary Clinton, or Donald Trump, your vote still matters, so make it count.
