The year is 2016. The current month is October, and America is in the heat of the most important election in a lifetime. Election day is a few short weeks away, and the stakes could not be any higher. The Republican and Democratic nominees are the two most disliked candidates to have ever run for public office. Their lives and every move has been followed, criticized and dissected for the past year and a half. The following is a short summary of the campaign season.

Donald J. Trump is the 2016 Republican presidential nominee. His campaign began on June 16, 2015 at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York. In what is known as the iconic descend down his golden escalator, Trump announced his candidacy for president of the United States. This day was not only memorable because of his announcement, but also due to his infamous statement about immigrants: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” 

This quote, to many, was deemed as racially insensitive and inaccurate. Not all Mexicans are rapists, and this we know. Donald Trump’s statement has struck has affected the lives of many Mexicans by causing his followers to share in this same unfounded belief. Mr. Trump’s comments have also caused many of Hispanic people to fight back.

Interestingly, according to a 2015 Pew Research poll, about 870,000 less Mexican’s immigrated to the U.S. from 2009-2014 than from 1995-2000. This headline of Mexican immigration all leads to one of Trump’s signature campaign promises; building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

Trump promises to bring deportation forces in the masses to America as he commonly claims on Fox News appearances. “The first thing we’re gonna do, if and when I win, is we’re gonna get rid of all the bad ones. We’ve got gang members, we have killers we have a lot of bad people that have to get out of this country.” And it’s not just Trump who stands behind this principle. On a daily basis, many surrogates, supporters, advisers, and the Trump Team defend what political analysts such as CNN’s Jake Tapper call the indefensible.

The Trump Campaign in the past year has had many encounters just to list a few. He battled 16 fellow GOP candidates and was by far expected to do very poorly, let alone secure the nomination. He has feuded with just about everyone– from Rosie O’ Donnell (claiming at Trump’s wedding she “ate like a pig”) to the Pope, who claimed earlier this year that Trump is not a Christian. One of the most notable encounters comes from the Democratic National Convention this past July.

Khzir Kahn, the father of an American captain killed in Afghanistan, was invited to speak at the DNC. Kahn, accompanied by his wife who would remain silent, Ghazala Kahn, attacked Trump during his minutes of air-time. “Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words “liberty” and “equal protection of law. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America — you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one.” This encounter, while very unusual, showcased the racial nerve Trump has hit in this election.

From the Border Wall, to unreleased tax returns, loyal supporters and every controversial comment in between, Donald J. Trump is the 2016 Republican presidential candidate. Americans are hungry  for change and he is deemed as the “outside candidate”. He and Mike Pence promise to “Make America Great Again” as the big day in November draws near.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee. Her campaign began on April 12, 2015 in a YouTube video posted to her account. Unlike her counterpart, she has been in public office since 1993.

Hillary has served as First Lady and a U.S Senator for a combined sixteen years. In 2009 she was appointed part of President Barack Obama’s cabinet and also has served as Secretary of State. Now, she is in the fight of her life as she looks to become the first Female president in U.S. history; however, the road here has been far from easy.

The Clinton name is colored with controversy, dating back to Bill Clinton’s issues with infidelity. Hillary herself, has also had her own personal issues with controversy.

The September 11, 2012 attack of Benghazi has raised many questions about, then, Secretary Clinton’s failure to do anything in the attack. Four Americans were killed in this attack, and Republicans and Conservatives have both criticized Hillary for not claiming responsibility on knowing of any intelligence information prior to the attack.

Another event that has caused distrust in Hillary’s campaign is her email scandal. Hillary, as Secretary of State, had deleted of 30,000 emails, in which she claimed none of which contained classified information. This past July, FBI Director James Comey released a statement on the investigation, stating that very few emails were indeed marked classified. The email issue just adds fuel to the fire regarding the public’s trust issues with Hillary Clinton.

Hillary’s emails, her Benghazi involvement, and her husband’s issues with infidelity have caused her campaign to have some of the highest negative feedback of any candidate who has ever been granted a Presidential nomination. Voters in swing states claim they cannot trust either candidate, leading to what is sure to be one of the most interesting Election Day’s in American history.

Election Day itself is rapidly approaching. Trump and Clinton both have become highly controversial; however, the most recent polling as of this writing shows Clinton was an eleven point advantage. Whatever your personal political belief may be, this election is extremely important. Make sure to let your voice be heard on November 8, 2016.