By the end of this week’s publication date, we will likely all be wondering what the future direction of our country will look like. Perhaps we will even have a faint idea as to how our next four years might play out. And honestly, it’s pretty terrifying either way.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, America will collectively decide who the next “Leader of the Free World” will be, and right now, it’s entirely up in the air.

If you turn to your twitter screen at this moment you’ll probably see an ignorant comment (or a dozen) from the Trump campaign, and if you turn to Wikileaks or the FBI you’ll see the ongoing discussion on Clinton’s emails.

There’s not much news to any of this–considering all of the above have been going on for the past several months. However, each time another headline pops up, it becomes more and more challenging to want to vote for either one of them.

But does that mean that you shouldn’t vote? Absolutely not.

Personally, this is the first presidential election that I get to be involved in, and I’m certain that many of you are in the same boat (especially considering the overwhelming number of underclassmen on campus).

I’ve watched this entire election more or less from afar, keeping my distance (as to avoid political debates) while still remaining informed.

However, when I opened up my ballot a few days ago I was fairly surprised. I knew for sure that there would be the two main candidates on the ballot for the presidential race (Trump and Clinton) in addition to at least two other candidates (Johnson and Stein).

But there aren’t just two, there are seven. And one is even from Seattle…

Am I the only person that finds it strange that we focus entirely on two political parties when it comes to elections?

Maybe this is our fault for not looking into the political system more and understanding every political party out there. Or maybe it’s our government’s fault for constantly blaming the opposing party without ever accepting responsibility for their own actions.

Maybe it’s the media’s fault for pitting two sides against each other so that all we see is an ongoing conservative vs. liberal storyline.

Regardless, as an American and a voter it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on these issues. We need to look further into our political field and determine what is wrong and how we can fix it.

How do we fix it? We elect new officials over ones who have accomplished nothing during their terms. We re-elect the people who are making progress and benefit a stable, functioning government.

But most importantly, we become informed. Not just on the big issues that political pundits rant about, but on the local issues that will affect our own community and our own state specifically.

So please, if you think that there is no hope for this election, don’t shy away from your ballot. Grab a voter’s pamphlet and skim through it. Learn about every side, every angle, every consequence before you throw your ballot in the mail. Focus on the little issues and the big issues.

Look over each candidate for office, and if you don’t like them, write-in a qualified candidate.

I don’t care who or what you vote for, I just care that you get out and vote.

Don’t be a lazy voter who simply checks the boxes, slaps on an “I voted” sticker and then walks away without even realizing the importance of this vote.

Not everyone gets the opportunity to choose who represents them in the government. Don’t take this for granted. Please get out and exercise that right to vote. Your decision matters, and in less than a week, you’ll see your decisions play out firsthand.

Editor’s Note: On the back of this week’s paper you’ll notice the sign on behalf of the Not in Our KittCo group that has formed throughout campus and the Ellensburg community.

As we take a stand against hate and racism, we ask that you join us and show your support for Not in Our KittCo and the message of peace and inclusivity that they strive to maintain.

Feel free to take as many papers as you’d like and hang the sign up in your dorm window, at your apartment or anywhere that is visible to the community. Ask your friends to do the same.

Together we can show that hatred and racism will not be accepted on our campus and Not in Our KittCo.