November 4 is fast approaching, and for many of us this will be our first year voting. As voters, we have the duty to research the issues and make a well-informed decision.
Unfortunately, for many people making a well-informed decision simply means asking someone else. someone who they assume is more knowledgable on the issue than they are. Instead of taking another person’s word for it, we need to find out where we stand on the issues ourselves and not rely on other people to tell us what is “right” and what is “wrong.” Values are subjective and what works for them might not work for you.
I’ve overheard many people say that they are voting for a certain candidate and when pressed for the reasons why, they can’t seem to come up with a single answer. Too many people are voting for whom and what they’ve been told to vote for by their parents, their friends or even celebrities.
The decisions made through elections are incredibly important and affect everyone. Voting is not something that should be taken lightly. Looking at the propositions on the ballot the day of the election should not be the first any voter has seen of them, and there should be more behind one’s decision to vote for Obama than just because he is good-looking.
Voters should know all the propositions well enough beforehand, so that they can quickly fill in their bubble of choice without struggling over the wording of the summary on the ballot. They should know where each candidate stands on all the issues and what they plan to do regarding those issues.
From this information we can find the candidate and propostions that match up with our personal beliefs the most and support them. Decisions made based on personal beliefs should remain personal and not be influenced by other people, who have their own personal beliefs.
One might think that becoming informed would take a lot of work and time, but it doesn’t have to. Websites like OntheIssues.org provide simple explanations about where each candidate stands on issues like abortion, health care and gun control. It also gives the voting record of each candidate.
CaliforniaPropositions.org briefly explains each proposition and provides links for more information on who supports what propositions and what you can do to help your causes. At the website, you can also subscribe to a mailing list which will keep you updated on the issues you care about.
With all the issues put before us on the voting ballot, it is reasonable to be a little overwhelmed.
But learning about what you’re voting for doesn’t have to be hard, and it’s worth finding out where you stand on each issue and voting that way as opposed to taking someone’s word for it.
Unless you become fully informed, you could end up voting for something you’ll later complain about and not even know you did nothing to help it.