The 2016 election is underway. Fresh faces are debuting on our TV screens — and all over our social media. The debates for both the republican and democratic parties have begun and the race to the election has taken off.

Now if you’re like me, this next election will be your first election to legally vote in. Now that you are 18 or older you have the great freedom and the right to vote in the United States. Gaining the right to vote over the many years of this country has evolved into a great privilege for all of us United States citizens today. With that being said, most younger voters, or first time voters, need to keep a few things in mind before submitting that ballot.

Like I said, voting is a great privilege to have in our country, yet some people choose to look past the real reason for voting. When the election festivities begin I encourage you to take time and get a better knowledge for the candidates. You may have a general idea for what party you lean towards but there are more to democrats and republicans than pro-life and pro-war and the things we know off the top of our heads. As for the younger generation, we tend to judge the book by its cover. We automatically assume that we will not like someone running for president based off of a subject or topic we have in difference with that person. So take a look into each candidate, look at their backgrounds and what they stand for, and how will they help our country be better.

Next, I would like to just put things out there plain and simple; you are an adult now, and as an adult you get to make all the decisions in your life for yourself now. All our lives we grow up obeying and following the rules of our parents, which is great don’t get me wrong, but our younger generation seems to believe that what their parents think or who their parents vote for is exactly what they should think and or vote for. Now must of the time, you and your parents will agree on most things. They raised you, you grew up learning their views on life, and gaining those views for yourself. But people change, we get older, and it becomes time to figure out for yourself what you want in a president and in your country — not what your parents want. I find a lot of my friends voting for whoever their mom or dad is voting for and I reply with a response much like this: "You are not your mom, and you are not your dad, you may have different views, see things different, or maybe even be on the whole other side of the spectrum than your parents, so keep that in mind before you jump to that conclusion."

The last thing I would like you to keep in mind is an important factor to voting. As a first time or young voter I ask you to keep in mind voting is taken very seriously. The second you submit your ballot could be the second the world is changed. Some people do not take voting as seriously as they should, and sadly some people take advantage of the right to vote. For example, some people will simply vote for the sake of saying they got to vote; therefore they are selecting a candidate at random, not caring who they chose. The president of the United States has the power to make change in our world and you should care about that.

I encourage every one to vote the second they get the change to. But keep in mind that voting isn’t just picking a random candidate because you think they are funny, or your parents like them, or you just feel like voting for them. Look into your 2016 candidates, look into the different parties, decide what you want for your country, and what you believe in, because that is the real reason why we should vote. We finally all have this great privilege and opportunity; don’t let it go to waste.