It’s 2016, and you know what that means: the presidential election. From the elephants to donkeys roaming throughout 2015, right now the zoo is quite alive. There are television advertisements, Snapchat stories, Facebook posts, and billboards. But, with the amount of information being thrown at you, it’s nearly impossible to come to an informed decision without all the bias. HC Scranton is here to explain how the presidential election works, with four reasons why you, YES YOU, can vote!
For those of us who have forgotten about high school government, never fear! Here is the presidential election explained in 3 simple steps.
1. At the start of the year, beginning with Iowa, all of the states hold either a caucus or a primary. This determines which candidate the population of that state believes can do the best job. In other words, it decides which two candidates will compete against each other for the title of United States President.
2. Once all the votes have been tallied, both republican and democratic supporters hold conventions to announce their respective candidate. The candidates will also pick a running mate to be their VP, if elected.
3. Lastly, an electoral college decides who will be the next president. Each state has its own number of electoral votes tailored to the population of the state. So, finally the candidate with the most electoral votes becomes our new POTUS!
Besides being informed about how the presidential election ensembles, it’s also important to understand why and how you should be an informed voter. And no, do not believe everything each candidate says. Look at the facts.
1. It’s your civic duty! As a free citizen of the United States of America, you have many rights. You can say what you want, do (mostly) whatever you want, and have the freedom to be who you want. In order to keep this free, it’s important to be an active citizen of your country.
2. Think about what is most important to you. Is it foreign policy? Education? Taxes? Pay raises? Whatever it may be, understand why it’s important to you and evaluate which candidate best represents your views.
3. Populations in other countries don’t have the liberty to chose their leader. It’s true. In other countries there are leaders that just appoint themselves. “We The People” have the blessing to choose ours. YOU have the ability to choose your leader.
4. How you view elections will imprint on future generations. It’s important to show younger generations how important voting is. If we start now with an active attitude about voting and elections, then our younger brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews will take on that attitude as well.
So there you have it. Get your Google on and research which candidate correlates with your beliefs. It’s up to you, the future educators, doctors, counselors, and economists of the world to put in a vote and make a decision! Good luck!