With the election coming up in November, I wanted to talk about why voting is important and why you should partake in it. 

American citizens over the age of 18 are entitled to vote in both federal and state elections.  The constitution determines that members of the senate and the house of representatives be elected by the popular vote. The president, however, is elected by the electoral college. 

This system has made many people think that it’s not important to vote since they aren’t actually getting the chance to pick the next president which is far from the truth. 

It’s important to vote because your voice needs to be heard. Using your voice can inform others on political issues and help them figure out where they stand. Everyone should get out and vote because everyone has a stance. No matter what your position is, it could still make a difference in how the country will be running for the next four years. 

Looking at past elections, only 45 percent of Americans participated in elections, and that number should have been way higher since the fate of the country is in the people’s hands. Now, many of you may not know where to start figuring out where you stand politically. Some ways you can inform yourself about matters is by watching the news, reading the paper or taking quizzes that let you see where you stand based on the matters that are most important to you. 

Many people that aren’t voting are between the ages of 18 to 24. Most of those people have removed themselves from the electoral process simply because they felt like their vote wouldn’t really matter. 

Many countries don’t have the option or power to change their situation, but the citizens of The United States do. You have the power to make a change that not only affects you but the country as a whole. When you don’t vote, you are giving up your choice, one that could potentially change the future. Voting is a right that generations of Americans have struggled to obtain as many countries are still fighting for that right. 

By voting, you choose who has the power to change foreign, domestic, environmental, social and educational issues amongst others. Step up and use your voice so you are able to change these issues at hand and make The United States a better place for future generations to come.