Turning eighteen in the great U.S. of A. makes you an adult in the eyes of the law, and while there are still some restrictions as to what you can do, there is one major thing you can do, vote. Once you reach eighteen, you have the right as a U.S. citizen to vote in elections from anywhere from the local, to state, and even the national level, and with the 2020 election coming up in only one short year, now is the best time for those of you coming of age to get involved in the electoral process.

As you probably know the United States determines its president through the use of the electoral college which is a system in which a candidate must receive 270 votes out of a total of 538 electors. However, this is not to say your vote doesn’t matter; your vote factors into whether or not the candidate you vote for will receive the electoral votes from your state. Now, knowing the basics to the electoral process, here are some things to consider when deciding which candidate to vote for.

When deciding who to vote for, it’s best to stay informed. Always make good use of the resources that you have available. Such outlets of information include the news and blogs, you just have to be careful about the ones that you choose to listen to. Many news sources always have a side that they lean more towards so it is extremely essential to always be open to different ideas and not be influenced easily.

To the left, an Online News Bias Chart is depicted in order to demonstrate how the different American news sources swing towards being either Republican, Democrat, or somewhere in between. In order to make decisions based on information, it is essential to make sure that you are only learning the straight up facts and nothing else but that. News sources such as BBC and the Wall Street Journal do their part by showing less bias and more facts; however, it is your role to take that information and form your own educated opinions.

One good way to practice voicing your opinions while also listening to those of others, is through Countable. Countable allows you to read and vote on and share your opinion of current issues within the nation, and even international news! Once you vote, the website shares with you both perspectives on the issue and allows you to see other people’s opinions, as well.

Having a voice that impacts what affects your community and country is a huge responsibility. Don’t be afraid to debate issues with your friends or even parents and see where the open discussion takes you. Being informed will help you change the world and nothing feels better than making an impact.