Whether you are walking through the halls of ECC, at your job, or even at home, you’ve all probably heard the phrase ‘I’m not going to vote’ being thrown around. We’re guilty of saying it ourselves. As the election draws near, the impact of our vote has become clearer. Like the majority of first or second year students, this will be our first time participating in a presidential election, and it’s actually a daunting thing to think about. What happens if we vote for someone who only cares about the needs of themselves and not the needs of the country? Never before have we had the opportunity to participate in something on a scale this massive. Sometimes we think it would be easier to not vote at all, to just wash our hands from the whole sticky situation.

But the act of voting speaks volumes. Choosing a candidate to support is stressful, especially if not all of their policies line up with your own. It also seems exceptionally difficult this year because of the cringe worthy options. But think about it, your choice to vote will not only affect the presidential race, but will also influence the people around you. How many of your friends or coworkers have asked if you’re voting at all? Choosing to go out and vote is a meaningful act in itself, being vocal about it is even more so.

The two main candidates both have substantial perks and flaws. Sometimes it’s hard to overlook the distasteful side of them, or to even stomach the thought of voting for them. But when the time comes, you have two choices, to vote or not to vote. The question we tend to ask ourselves is ‘will we regret not voting?’ or ‘ will the outcome of the election poorly affect people around us?’. Sadly, the answer is yes. According to your own personal beliefs, at least one of these candidates violate your own morals; there’s no way around it. More often than not, either candidate has offended you more than you recognized in your existence. From any form of sexual assault, to lying and murder, there have been accusations of the candidates that have negatively affected your opinions.

Honestly, it’s hard not to be cynical about the election. It’s so easy and natural to sh*t talk the candidates, but they will be representing our country for the next four years. So, there’s one thing we’d like to ask: please vote your conscience. Vote for who you think will run the country with the most passion and judgement. Vote for who you think will keep the values of the American people in line with their policies. Vote for someone who doesn’t include their ego in their decision- making.

At the end of the day, your vote does matter and it does make a difference. In this election season, you have the unique chance to choose who you think will run this country better. Objectively speaking, there are no stupid votes in this election. Even if you vote for someone who you think will lose, you still ultimately allowed your voice to be heard. Speaking up is better than not have spoken at all.