A helpful guide to voting as a college student

The primaries are approaching and the smell of sweet civil liberty is in the air! For some of us, this may be our first time voting and the concept of sharing our political ideals can be overwhelming, intimidating, and exhilarating all at the same time.

With that being said, we are new at this voting thing. So before we get ahead of ourselves,  there are few steps that should be taken prior to entering the voting booth.

It is far too often individuals choose a particular candidate solely for their brand, rather than their actual policies or belief systems.

Donald Trump: Says what’s on his mind!

Hillary Clinton: First woman president!

Marco Rubio: A young latino!

Bernie Sanders: Free tuition?!

Awe, look at how cute he is

Prior to choosing a candidate, it is imperative that one educates themselves. Your individualized vote should be tailored to your truest desires.

To start slowly, discover your political stance: conservative, moderate, or liberal? Do you value social justice over fiscal concerns? What is the cause that you cherish the most? As you develop your ideals and belief systems, you will have a better understanding when delving into your list of possible candidates.

It is often advisable to avoid labeling oneself as a particular party before choosing your candidate. This will allow you far more options and avoid missing any politicians that suit you. There are plenty of quizzes online that can set you up with your perfect candidate, but at the end of the day, this is your vote. After becoming an educated voter, you should feel 100% confident in your choice.

Now, you have picked your candidate, you voted on Super Tuesday and… WELL, SHIT. Your candidate didn’t win the nomination. It’s heartbreaking to be rejected, especially when it’s your first time! You’re so devastated you just want to throw in the towel on this whole voting thing….but this isn’t American Idol, folks.

This is going to be your president for the next four years of your life. There is no time to be bitter. Yes, it’s frustrating that your beloved politician, who you have been rigorously tweeting about since September, didn’t make the cut, but its time to move forward and try again.

Statistically speaking, we live in a binaried political system… meaning it is highly unlikely a candidate can be elected by a write-in vote. So what to do? Find the next best thing. Sure, you may have had some beef when they were running against your guy/gal but hey, forgive and forget. Just think, who would your first choice be voting for? There’s no way they would want that other one to win, would they?

Keeping your vote alive is necessary to have a truly representative election. We are privileged to be able to have a part in creating the political body of the US, but if we waste that privilege our country could be in peril. The population of young voters, mainly 18-24 year olds, is always a crucial demographic in every campaign. Despite the youth vote having the historically lowest turnout rate for elections, candidates constantly slave over swinging our votes their way.

In the 2016 election, the youth vote turnout could very well determine the next president of the United States. We are finally being given the opportunity to dictate our country’s future, and it’s time we take matters into our own hands.

VOTE!! VOTE!! VOTE!!