In just eight days, the political landscape of our country will change forever.
And each and every American has the opportunity to become a part of history by voting. But the democratic process does not start with voting, it begins with informed voters.
It is not enough to simply go to the polls and choose which issues and candidates matter.
Voters must enter the booth with a working knowledge of each item listed on the ballot.
They must also be familiar with the candidates, policies and beliefs.
If voters choose not to research topics and become familiar with who they vote for, society runs the risk of implementing laws that we do not favor and putting people in power who do not share the interest of the majority.
In the presidential race, both candidates have polar views on health care, taxes, and abortion rights.
These are major issues that most people have strong feelings on.
In order to successfully express these feelings, voters must detach themselves from party lines and vote for the candidate who shares their views.
Will it take more time prior to voting? Yes. Is it necessary to do? A resounding yes.
Uninformed voting is dangerous. It can even be argued that voting without knowing the issues is worse than not voting at all.
This November we should all discover what lies behind the words on the 14-inch ballot and use that as the guidelines for our decision.
Akeem Anderson for the editorial board.