With the Nov. 6 election approaching, 18-year-old seniors are preparing to vote for the first time. With voting comes responsibility, and it is important that all voters remain informed about what issues will appear on the ballot. After the historic 2016 election, many Americans complained about President Donald Trump getting elected in the 2016 election; however, according to the United States Election Project, about 49.6 percent of eligible voters did not even take the responsibility to show up at the polls and cast their vote. If you don’t vote, then you have no right to complain about the outcome.

A big reason why many people don’t vote- especially younger people- is because they believe their votes won’t matter. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, nearly 47 percent of the American public felt that their vote won’t make a difference in government. The reality? Every vote matters. In fact, in 2016, Republican Dave Adkins from New Mexico secured a spot in the U.S. House of Representatives by a mere two votes.

Voting is easy. The first step to voting is registering. Don’t fret, seniors- if you missed the Oct. 10 deadline, log onto sos.mo.gov or request a form in the mail so you can vote in the next election. Once registered, you will receive a card with your polling place. Finally, for those registered by Oct. 10, show up at your designated polling place Nov. 6 with a state ID or driver’s license and cast your vote. If you can’t vote that day, you can request an absentee ballot.

Perhaps what’s even more important than actually showing up to vote is doing your research; there’s no point in voting when you don’t know what you’re actually voting on. The wording on the ballot is hard to understand, so don’t rely on bringing a dictionary to the polling station. To learn more about what will show up on this year’s ballot, you can visit ballotpedia.org or vote411.org.

Although presidential elections are more talked about and more people show up to them, midterms are just as important. In November, Missourians will vote on various issues such as legalizing medical marijuana, raising the minimum wage to $12/hr, and a U.S. senator and state and local representatives. If you feel passionately about a certain issue and are 18 years old or older, go out and vote.

It is important to fulfill your civic duty as an American by participating in elections and staying informed about what is going on both in the St. Charles area, in Missouri, and around the country. If you cannot vote, you can still stay informed. The next time you scroll through Twitter, check out the news section- it’s fast, easy, and important.