It’s about that time of year when everyone is going to start bugging you about who you’re voting for in the election. And I’m not talking about Homecoming.
In all seriousness though, it is that time. I didn’t realize it until over break when I saw a multitude of political signs and posters in people’s yards.
But the point of this column is not to persuade you to vote one way or another.
Over break, I was talking to one of my friends about the election. She mentioned that she doesn’t think people should vote if they have no clue about where the candidates stand.
I agree with this opinion.
We get a lot of messages from the media, tables set up in the Waldron Campus Center and the older generations encouraging us not only to register to vote, but to exercise our right to vote.
That raises this question: If we have a right to do something, does that necessarily mean we should do it?
If you’re going to vote, you should have background knowledge of the candidates who are running for office.
Think about it this way: If you know who you want to vote for, you agree with where the candidate stands on a lot of issues and you know you want that person to be in office, how would you feel if someone else who knows next to nothing about the candidates just went to the polls and voted for the other person, just because they can?
That person just canceled out your vote, which I’m guessing is not the most wonderful feeling in the world.
I’m not trying to say that if you don’t know anything about the candidates now, then you shouldn’t vote. The point in this is to try to encourage you to get informed about the candidates.
There are several ways to get information about who you should vote for. Watch debates – if you’ve missed any, you can find recaps online.
Find websites that show where the candidates stand on important issues. Chances are you’re not going to agree with everything they stand for so try to see which candidate you agree with more.
Talk to people that you trust or authority figures that you think know what they’re talking about.
Talk to your parents about who they’re voting for and why. If you share common interests with your parents, then you can take their advice. If you don’t, then you can do the opposite of what they tell you.
Lastly, I would encourage you that when looking at where candidates stand on the issues, make sure you know what everything means. Some political websites will try to put a positive spin on certain opinions, while critics will try to enforce a negative spin.
If you don’t understand something, find someone who does that can explain it to you in a neutral way. There’s no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to which candidate receives your vote.
You still have a few weeks until Election Day – Nov. 6. Do your research if you want to vote.
