Go Out and Vote!

VOTING 101

By: Amber James Feature Editor

To vote successfully, we must remember that it is important to also be compliant of the rules and regulations that are put into place. Below are all the do’s and don’ts of voting that you need to know.

DO’S

RESEARCH

As the campaign season heats up, voters will be bombarded with information from candidates, from television ads and literature in the mail to social media posts and tweets. If we are not researching the candidates that we are voting for, it could impact our future in more ways than one. Don’t know where to start? According to AARP.org, there are five things we can do to be informed:

1. Explore the candidates’ websites to see where they stand on your hot-button issues.

2. If one of the candidates is an incumbent in the House of Representatives or Senate, go to congress.gov and research their voting records, find out what issues they concentrate on, and how to contact them.

3. Attend campaign events, including town halls (or participate in them by phone or online) and informal coffees and other stops the candidates might be making in your community. Local party offices, public libraries and other community organizations usually have information on such events.

4. Find the campaign office and call or drop in. Candidates want your vote. Make them work for it. Ask to speak to the candidate or her or his representative and get your questions answered about the issues that matter to you.

5. Check the candidates’ answers on important issues. Factcheck.org, which is run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, keeps track of candidates’ statements and claims.”

BRING YOUR ID

While ID laws vary from state to state, it is generally a good idea to bring some form of photo-ID if you have it. For Illinois specifically, however, vote.org states, “If you’re not voting for the first time in Illinois, you don’t need to provide ID to vote by in person.” If you are not located in Illinois, you can look up your specific state’s rules on the vote.org website.

DONT’S

BRING YOUR GUN

According to digg.com, a news aggregator, “There are only six states (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas) that have explicit bans on guns in polling places.” However, some states are considering a temporary ban. Basically, it could get complicated. This may be obvious, but it’s probably best to just leave your gun at home.

TAKE SELFIES

This may be your first time voting and trust me, I know how exciting it can be. It may be tempting to take a picture of you scribbling in the ballot but there are other ways to let people know that you voted. Thankfully, there are usually stickers available that let people know you voted. Take a selfie of you wearing the sticker instead! It’s an easy (and legal) way for everyone to know you participated in the election. Antonio Smithberg, a junior at the University of St. Francis says, “Selfies are definitely a bad idea. Plus, do you really want people to see who you’re voting for and end up in a heated political discussion? Let voting day be a positive experience for you.”

Whether you decide to vote or not, at least do your research! Read up on the positions of all the candidates and make sure to read about the state and local candidates that will appear on the ballot. Giovanni Alvarado, a junior at the University of St. Francis says, “Voting is one of our most basic rights that we have as American citizens. If you ever see things you don’t like in our government, you have the right to make the change and express your voice. No matter what party you support, we are all Americans.” This is your future, so make it count.

36 November 5, 2018