Why you Should Educate Yourself on the Upcoming Election

Election Day is fast Approaching.

Although it is not until November 8th, 2022, you may not be as prepared to vote as you think. Most 18 to 24-year-olds do not vote. In the 2016 election, fewer than half voted in the presidential election. Some have stated that this is due to the lack of education on the candidates. However, it should not be this way, as each election brings about a potentially new pool of government officials working on behalf of their constituents. The person you vote for can have a lasting impact on the laws and societal standards we encounter every day, so it is important to vote. It is pretty easy, too; voting does not necessarily have to be in person. One can vote online or even mail it in.

What to know About Voting. 

Voting is traditionally done through political parties, meaning your options will be those affiliated with the same party you are registered with. Ballots are designed to list all potential candidates in the biggest political parties, and help determine the percentage of the voter base who voted for each candidate. In many cases, people will lack education of regarding all the candidates, and just vote for the name that seems the most familiar. The issue with this is that voters are not necessarily choosing the best person to be elected because they lack knowledge of the candidates’ goals for their time in office. Educating yourself before voting will help clarify which candidates best represent your political interests. Despite a potential difference in specific political leaning, everyone can agree on one thing: some people should not be elected. The best way to fix this issue will be to educate yourself with an open mind to those who should be.

What do I look for in a Candidate?

Harford Community College student Gavin Johnson, expressed, in an interview, the need for others to educate themselves on this matter. “You would want to do as much research as you can, on all the candidates that you are looking for,” he says. “Whether that’s your party or not, you may find a politician that is better. Even if it’s in an opposing party. However, knowledge is power; the more you know won’t hurt you. Don’t rush yourself and don’t pressure yourself to do something you don’t believe in because, at the end of the day, you are there to represent your opinion, not anyone else.” Johnson prefers to be an educated voter. It’s necessary to be fully educated when it comes to making a choice on who gets to decide things for our states and countries.

A Brief Overview of the Candidates for Allegany County

U.S. Senator

Scottie Griffin (Dem, Write-In)
What she plans to do:

• Ensure voting rights for all Americans
• Reduce the tax rate for families with low incomes by establishing a flat rate for those earning below the poverty line
• Promote legislation for high school students to engage in discussions such as the previous ethnic history of the U.S
• Acknowledge/respect diverse cultures, and promote civil liberties
• Develop future policies that maintain a viable economic system

Chris Chaffee (Rep)
What he plans to do:

• Protect the Second Amendment
• Ensure U.S. energy independence; all oil used by Americans should be harvested and refined in the U.S.
• Strengthen our military
• Reduce federal spending
• Promote small businesses

Chris Van Hollen (Dem)
What he plans to do:

• Protect and promote civil liberties
• Fight mass incarceration and private prisons
• Increase:
  • Social Security retirement, disability, and survivor benefits
  • Infrastructure funding to provide better municipal services and more jobs
  • Funding to Maryland technologists, agriculturalists, and scientists to further broaden Maryland’s contributions to both the worlds of STEM and agriculture
• End gun violence

These are just three candidates, but they are not the only ones. A politician’s platform can also not be summed up in such a short list, so if any of these proposals strike an interest in you, it may be worth doing more research on this candidate, or their contemporaries. Many candidates have their own campaign website, and a great online resource with more available candidates is Vote411.org. Another resource that describes candidates’ positions is Ballotpedia.org. It is important to vote, and it’s important that when you do, you’re doing so with the confidence that this candidate best represents your political goals.

“And I knew exactly what to do. But in a much more real sense, I had no idea what to do.”
– Michael Scott