With political ads bombarding everyone’s television and campaign signs popping up in yards across the country it would be nearly impossible not to know it’s election time! While we here at Virginia Tech have been spending our time campaigning for our favorite Homecoming candidate, the bigger election is right around the corner. In case you have been hiding in a closet for the past few months, current President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney have been having quite the showdown. Vicious ads have been taking over televisions and the debates are now well under way.
Voting is definitely one of the most important rights to exercise, especially for young adults. We are the future of this country and must take it upon ourselves to change the things we see fit to change. Not only must we vote, we must also be EDUCATED voters. It’s easy to walk into the polls on Election Day and just vote for the person your friends or family are voting for, but you’re doing yourself an injustice. With political ads running rampant these days it is sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction, but there are a few things you can do to become educated and informed about the candidates:
1) Do your research. Watch the debates, read articles in the newspaper, check out official websites. Figure out what each candidate’s stance is on important issues!
2) Know the facts. Many times candidates will just spout out responses they know the public will want to hear. They will say one thing and then later deny it. It’s up to you to figure that out. There are many fact-checking websites that will identify each candidate’s lies.
3) Know your morals and values. Before you can even begin to decide who to vote for, you must know your stances on popular issues. Figure out the issues you are really passionate about and find the candidate that best matches those regardless of political affiliation.
4) Don’t listen to friends and family. We all love our family and friends, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with them. They are biased and a lot of the times will try to persuade your vote. It is sometimes best just to keep your vote to yourself to avoid conflict and avoid those long lectures from Mom and Dad.
Bear these few things in mind and make your OWN decision for whom to vote. Most importantly just go VOTE! I cannot stress that enough! The polls open at 6 AM on Tuesday, November 6th. Go exercise your 15th Amendment rights and make a dent in tomorrow!
Photo Sources:
http://www.chris-n-kim.com/serendipity/uploads/Images/Pictures/2008_Pict…
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-GDfDN8NxWM/TNJGsqKa4WI/AAAAAAAAC_c/ZCspIG2LBd…