College students are constantly being bombarded with dates. From exam and paper due dates to maybe even actual romantic dates with someone (if so, good luck with that). The constant stream of dates never seems to end. However, April 4, 2016, though it doesn’t directly correlate to school or a class, is a date you need to put on your calendar. “What is it?” you may ask, It’s the day by which you have to be registered to vote in the presidential primaries.
While the primaries may not seem as important as the presidential election, they matter just as much. If you aren’t familiar with the process, the candidates who win the primaries for their respective political parties are the candidates who represent their party in the presidential election.
You may not think that your vote matters very much, but even individual votes can have an impact on the outcome of the election. Imagine if every college student across America voted on Election Day. It has been said that if this was the case, the entire election could be swayed in one direction or another.
Registering to vote doesn’t require you to watch the entirety of every presidential debate, nor does it require you to put in hours of research into each candidate’s campaign (though you can if you want to, and maybe you should run for president while you’re at it). However, it is important to be informed going into an election.
If you’re not sure how to do this, it’s okay. Here are a few tips: Most candidates have their stances and views on main issues on their campaign websites. This way, you don’t have to dig too deep to see where they stand on important issues. Another helpful resource is www.isidewith.com, which is a nonpartisan website that uses a quiz to help you discover which candidate’s stances you agree with most.
The future of America lies not only in the hands of its voting population, but also the population of its qualified nonvoters. Registering to vote in Indiana can be done on a mobile device in mere minutes with just a few documents in hand (like a valid ID or driver’s license). Voter registration can take a few weeks to be verified, so it is best done as far in advance as possible. So, go vote, and help change the world!