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Your Vote Matters. Yes, Yours! (2801 hits)

Monday, October 29, 2012
By Carly Schwieters
It’s that time of the year. During the months leading up to the presidential election, it seems impossible to turn on the TV or computer without seeing some sort of political ad. In addition to this bombardment of ads and promotions, we as college students are being targeted as young and “crucial” voters, capable of making a real difference in this year’s presidential election – which, by the way, is on Tuesday, November 6th.

Why is it so important that us collegiettes vote? We actually do make the difference! According to The Tartan, 66% of young voters cast their ballot for Barack Obama in 2008. “Young people absolutely made the difference in this election,” said Erika Johansson, a member of Declare Yourself, an initiative dedicated to youth voters. “Without them, he would have lost the election.”

Now that I’ve proven it’s important for us to vote, where do we begin? How do we keep track of so many issues being debated at once? How do we form our own opinions without being influenced by the bias all around us?

Well here’s a start - a list of websites that contain straightforward information about the candidates (Obama, Romney, and others you may not be familiar with!) who are up for election this November, as well as their stances on the issues at hand this election season. These sites aren’t bogged down with the opinions of any political party, and aren’t intended to sway your vote one way or another.

So read the information and watch the videos presented here; you never know what you might discover.

-Overview of Candidates & Links to Personal Campaign Websites: http://www.politics1.com/p2012.htm
-C-Span: Candidates Speaking on the Issues: http://campaign2012.c-span.org/candidates

-Up-to-Date Links to Articles Addressing Most Recent Political Developments: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/?state=nw...

Of course, these websites contain tons of links to other sites that go more in depth with whatever you wish to research.

Now that you’re all politically savvy, I’m sure you’re wondering how you register to vote. Go to the Rock the Vote website, click on Register to Vote toward the top right, and follow the easy instructions. Get out there & make a difference. Your vote matters!

More: http://www.hercampus.com/school/bentley/yo...