Become politically educated before you vote

Regardless of your political stance or affiliation, please take the time to get educated on the issues and exercise your right to vote. If you cannot pick one person over the other, please refrain from the oxymoronic theory of choosing the lesser of two evils. If you consider both selections as evil, why even vote?
 
Please take a moment to educate yourself on the platform/agenda of all candidates and their political party. Try to understand that voting goes beyond selecting a human being to represent you and that whatever proposals that will be on the ballot may have a far greater impact on your life than what any candidate can promise you. Might I also suggest that you be your own voice of reason and not allow sound bites, commercials, robo-calls, special interest groups or those with an agenda become your voice or conscience.

Try to remember that many of the talking heads and pundits are only speaking for themselves and are in no way surrogates of the candidate or political party.
 
Every election is important, but what is most important is that people take ownership of their voting rights by getting informed and becoming politically astute. Refrain from worrying about and being distracted by who is spending more money on political ads; but as a voter, it is your responsibility to decipher fact from fiction. Try to find out who has your best interests at heart, not what political party you think best represents you. There is no perfect candidate; nor will there ever be. Likewise, the political parties are far from perfect, but do not allow yourself to be fooled into thinking that one is better than the other.
 
Only you as an individual voter know what is best for you. Take a long, hard look around you and decide for yourself what you are not getting from those you have elected to represent you and cast your ballot accordingly. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for voters to tune out the noise. And what I mean by that is for you to not let others speak for you and tell you how you should be voting. Do not be afraid to take risks at the ballot box and vote your conscience.
 
It is often said that an independent voter is no more than a confused soul. As a proud and staunch independent voter, I am not offended by such talk because I appreciate the fact that both of the major political parties has to earn my vote. I will not allow either of them to take my right to vote and for whom for granted. All the talk of being labeled a liberal or conservative is poppycock. At the end of the day, one can choose to say that it is about the left wing or right wing for them; and to that I say, what difference does it really make; it’s all from the same bird.
 
So if you really want to make a difference in the voting booth, become politically educated. The key is not about whom you vote for, but to not allow folks to tell you who you should be voting for. With a high political IQ, you can never be taken for granted at the ballot box