With this upcoming election, it’s so important now more than ever to go vote. Sometimes it might seem that your vote doesn’t matter like there are millions of other people that are voting so how do you even make a difference? Well, if everyone thought like that then no one would go out and cast a vote that determines the next leader of our country.

This is the first presidential election that I will be able to vote in since I turned 18 and it has been nothing like I expected it to be. Growing up, I thought when it came time for me to finally vote for the next president of the United States that I would know exactly whom I was planning on voting for and have clarity on what the candidate would do to help our country. Sadly, that has not been the case and although I am slightly leaning towards one candidate more than the other, it has still been hard to dedicate that vote to someone I am so unsure about.

Yes, I am voting for someone that I wouldn’t probably vote for if there was a better-suited candidate running against them but it’s still important to cast my vote anyways. If I’m being honest, it comes down to which candidate seems somewhat more sincere and seems to have the knowledge to fix the issues that our country is facing right now and will face in the future. This is what you have to think about before you go and vote for someone without having knowledge of what they stand for. This election isn’t one to just go vote for someone because they’re funny or witty, it’s a serious matter and should be treated as such.

Whether it’s for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, or a Third-Party candidate, make sure you have really researched and informed yourself about what their stances on certain policies are. And regardless of whom you vote for, it does have an effect on the election because you are making your voice heard and that is exactly what democracy is. We have the right to speak our opinions and decide what we think is best for the country that we live in so why not express that through voting?

So when November 8th comes around, go out and make your voice heard. Set some time aside to keep the concept of democracy alive and vote. You'll be glad you did.