As a college student, it is hard to find time to focus on anything other than school, your job and homework; you barely have enough time throughout the day to do the little things.
One little thing that turns into a big necessity is taking the time to learn about the people who are possibly going to be running America’s future, and, more importantly, your future.
You do not want to vote for the candidate because of his or her race, background or wealth. You need to vote for the candidate who best represents your views and can direct your future to the best possible outcome.
I do not agree with all issues on both sides of the political spectrum. However, I do understand there will never be a perfect candidate that sees eye to eye with you.
So, why does this election and our votes matter? What if we do not like either candidate running for office? Should we even bother voting?
Yes.
Your vote is important because economic issues will affect your future, even if you try and run away from them. Let’s face it: You can’t hide from our economical state. Politicians are constantly debating and discussing issues such as student loans and the rising cost of tuition.
Picture this: You are a freshman in college who just paid your first tuition bill. A new president is elected into office part way through your second semester. Tuition your sophomore year is double the amount than it was your first year because the new president feels that college students are just full of money and should pay more.
I hope you caught that sarcasm.
If more college students voted against this president and his or her views on college tuition, this scenario may have played out incredibly different and benefited your pocketbook.
There are 44 million college students who are eligible to vote. But in the 2008 election, only a rough estimate of 23.9 million of those college students actually exercised their right to vote.
Imagine how the outcome could have changed if those 20.1 million college students who did not vote ended up casting a ballot.
Within the next four years a lot will change in your life. You may be graduating from college, heading on to your first professional job, getting married, starting a family, or all the above. The candidate you vote for in this election will route the course for the next four years, and you have to keep in mind all of the aspects that will affect what you will be doing in the future.
Not only will we be electing a president, but we will also be guiding the makeup of the Supreme Court of the United States. A president’s term ends after four years, but a member of the Supreme Court is appointed for life. Since the president is responsible for nominating judges to the Supreme Court, his or her social and political opinions could live on indefinitely.
This means if you do not like a particular presidential decision, and it passes through the Supreme Court, you may be stuck with the repercussions of this for more than just the current president’s term.
Voting is a domino effect: Your vote gets a president elected, the president makes decisions and places others in charge of your future, and you live under that authority.
If you do not take the initiative to vote in November, then you do not have the right to complain about the negative outcomes that may take place. Don’t we all want the right to complain if things do not go our way?
You need to make sure you are informed. Get to know the candidates and what they stand for. Do not take this lightly. Voting is a privilege that others have fought and died for. The least we can do is show up at the polls on Nov. 6 and perform our civic duty.
Make sure to find out about how and where you can vote in this presidential election.
