’Tis the season to be voting. With campaign ads airing and National Conventions already long gone, November 8th is fast approaching. It’s an election the media has deemed both historical and controversial—one voters new and old will remember as a search for the “lesser of two evils” candidate. Cue the drama of raging Twitter feuds, and it’s no wonder young voters are getting lost in the mix.

For those of you finding it hard to separate fact from fiction and propaganda from policy, you’re not alone. As of 2015, 9.7 percent of Americans will be hitting the polls as newcomers this election year. That’s roughly 31 million first-time ballots that have yet to be cast.

Seeing that the issues that divide this country aren’t as simple as left or right, it’s important to understand the current, unbiased basics of each party platform. Below are, in no particular order, the 12 most characteristically hot-button topics of every presidential race.

National Security

Democrats uphold various multilateralist policies, or those that garner the participation of other countries. In the interest of peace, they support US involvement in worldwide coalitions, such as the United Nations.

Republicans prioritize the country’s security interests above anything else, even if it results in the occasional conflict with the international community. In some cases, this translates to an increase in weapon building.

The Economy

Democrats believe government regulation is key to protecting consumers. They favor minimum wages in the business environment, and support increased pay.

Republicans lean toward the side of less involvement in a private sector economy in order to allow for job growth, entrepreneurship, and competition among businesses. In addition to minimum wage, they prefer that workers’ earnings are determined by the state of the free market.

Healthcare

Democrats promote universal healthcare programs. Increased government oversight is maintained in making sure everyone is cared for.

Republicans believe that privatized healthcare services ensure that people get the plans of their choice.

Foreign Affairs

Democrats focus primarily on those issues that plague that country domestically, preferring to offer protection from home. Often times this translates into concentrated resources, aid for disadvantaged countries, and less military spending.

Republicans hold military proactivity and superiority to a high standard. They tend to invest a large amount of resources and time into building up a strong national defense.

Taxes

Democrats favor a system of progressive taxation, meaning those with higher income brackets—big corporations and wealthy individuals, for example—should be given higher tax rates because they have more to contribute. In contrast, they oppose tax cuts made at the expense of the middle and lower classes.

Republicans favor tax cuts across the board, regardless of income. They believe a flat tax is crucial to stimulating the economy and avoiding class warfare.

Immigration

Democrats support the rights of illegal aliens to gain citizenship, many times offering them protections under the law rather than deporting them.

Republicans favor strong national borders, and as a result, are more willing to deport and track undocumented immigrants.

Gay Marriage

Democrats are more likely to advocate for marriage equality.

Republicans, for the most part, don’t support same-sex marriage.

Firearms

Democrats propose strict gun control laws and safety regulations that make it harder for people to obtain ownership.

Republicans support one’s Second Amendment right to bear arms. Limited control allows for the carrying of concealed weapons in public.

Government Involvement

Democrats emphasize the workings of a strong central government. They also promote those social services that cater to minority groups: the elderly, the homeless, and the disabled.

Republicans are inclined to take a decentralized, laissez-faire approach to federal regulation. Doing so leaves local matters up to the individual states and makes for a less powerful central government.

Abortion

Democrats are generally pro-choice. As such, they uphold a woman’s right to go through with an abortion as long as the procedure is safe, legal, and within a certain period of time.

Republicans are pro-life. Because they view the rights of an unborn child as those of any other individual, they are much more likely to advocate for the alternative measure of adoption.

Education

Democrats support the federal funding of public schooling, and often use taxes to hire new teachers and decrease class size. By providing students with the same opportunities, they also believe the achievement gap will close and ensure a track toward higher education.

Republicans favor learning options for students, meaning no one would be stuck at any particular school due to zoning regulations. They also recognize the importance of vocational, technical, and entrepreneurial programs in maintaining and retraining the workforce.

The Environment/Energy

Democrats see protecting resources, combating climate change, reducing pollution, and preserving public lands as top environmental priorities. Energy wise, they oppose drilling and instead work toward establishing fuel efficiency standards.

Republicans promote the private sector development of alternative energy resources and technologies. Besides using coal, oil, and natural gas as energy sources, they also turn to current market conditions.

And there you have it—an oversimplified introduction to the race for the presidency. These next three months are going to be a whirlwind of televised debates and fiery rallies, so take the above information as a stepping stone to furthering research and solidifying opinions. It’s time to voice your vote.