With Election Day less than one month away, more and more awful stories about the two frontrunners in the race for the White House have emerged, shedding horrible light on perhaps the most controversial battle we’ve ever seen. So many people hate both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton so much that they see it best to not vote on November 8th. It may seem like I’m about to lecture everyone about the importance of casting a ballot, as many celebrities have. However, our “right to vote” has been confused countless times with our “duty to vote” and therefore, deserves clarification.

Although voting for our leaders is often seen as a duty for all Americans, nobody can make you do it. Those who choose not to are waiving their voice in government, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Mike Rowe recently explained his incapability of encouraging people to vote on 11/8, as Ellen DeGeneres and Leo DiCaprio have. The TV host pointed out that many people are unaware of how all our political issues impact the nation. He said encouraging masses of people to make uninformed decisions on the ballot because of rights to vote is like encouraging people to buy guns just because of rights to bear arms. Understanding how our government works, current events, or the dishonesty by Trump and Clinton isn’t a condition of voting eligibility. Rowe argues that people should make educated decisions when filling their ballots, not fill them out just for the sake of voting.

He’s absolutely correct and couldn’t have explained it any better. I myself had always bought into the idea of everyone having a duty to vote, but never thought that someone making an uneducated decision on the ballot would be bad. I adjust my opinion to take this into account. Although many people have given their lives so we could have the right to have a say in government, if you want to avoid the polls on 11/8, then avoid them. I have a preference for President and will vote as such. However, there’s much more to this election than just the Presidential race. Therefore, before you decide not to vote on Election Day, you should be aware of the various options other than Trump vs. Clinton.

There are various third-party candidates such as Gary Johnson and Jill Stein just to name a few. If you hate Trump and Clinton, then you can vote for their competitors. You can also choose not to vote for any of the Presidential candidates and instead focus on members in Congress. So Republicans (both those who favor and oppose Donald Trump), despite the fallout that has occurred from all his flaws, not all is lost. You can vote for Reps in the House & for Senators to maintain your party's stronghold there. And Democrats, regardless of how you feel about Hillary Clinton, you can also vote for Democrat Reps and Senators.

Regardless of how or whether you vote, our future is at stake. So get out there and vote. Or not, the choice is yours. But whatever you decide, I encourage you to all make an informed choice for yourselves on this matter.