November 6th, 2018 may become one of the most important dates in recent U.S. history. This general election sees a whopping 5 Districts in California that are swing districts- meaning they are crucial to whether or not Democrats can overtake the House of Representatives. CA-25, 39, 45, 48, and 49 are the districts to look out for- with many of them located close to Los Angeles. If you are not in California, you can find out if your district is a swing district or not here.

Voting is so incredibly important. It was how this country was shaped, and how some of the most influential and great people have become President, a part of Congress, and more. Not voting is how we are now stuck with the worst President, congress members, and Supreme Court Justice in history.

The problem with the last few elections is the amount of voter dissatisfaction people feel. The largest population of voters are elderly white people who have consistently voted Republican in the past. No offense grandma and pa, but is this the generation we want representing us for the next few decades?

We have grown up in the age of technology- anything and everything we want to know is at our fingertips. I remember being so incredibly frustrated over the narrative in the last Presidential election: "Our votes don't matter." "I'm not going to vote because Bernie Sanders wasn't a candidate." "I don't know much about Clinton, but I know she's bad." This general election is not a Presidential one, and although it might feel intimidating to look at the ballot and see all of the different representatives and props up for voting, there are so many different and easy to access resources out there to help you make up your mind, without relying on twitter memes and sensationalized news pieces.

One of the best ways to find a voting guide that fits you best to first think about where you lie on the political spectrum. Are you progressive? Conservative? Centrist? Once you've picked out which one you are it's really as easy as plugging that adjective into this sentence: "_______ Voter Guide [your state] 2018", googling it, and selecting which guide you like best.

Here is one for the Los Angeles area. One other fun tip is that you are allowed to bring a cheat sheet in with you. Uber and Lyft this year are offering free rides to polling areas. It's still not too late to sign up for voting by mail.

Millennials and Gen X'ers have over 135 million eligible voters to the 95 million eligible for Baby Boomers and older. Yet, millennials and Gen Xs cast on average 21 million fewer votes. Representation is important, and no matter what race or age you are, voting is so incredibly important. You have a voice. You have the power to change the way this country is run. All you have to do is research a little and show up to the polls on November 6th, 2018. See you there.