Election season is upon on us; it’s an exciting time for many and, perhaps, more arcane for others.  I would love to get atop my soapbox and argue at length why everyone should vote for certain candidates and measures. Instead, I want to illustrate how many college students are going about the voting process entirely wrong.

I have noticed that many young voters don’t critically evaluate candidates and measures. Far too many people vote with the political party that’s most familiar. Young voters are choosing to vote for a candidate just because their parents and grandparents vote a certain way. These patterns do not work for modern American democracy.

I grew up in an interesting household. My mother is Democrat and my father a devout Republican. Needless to say, I certainly experienced some interesting debates. Fortunately, neither one forced me to accept a certain party.

When I turned 18, I felt the need to become well versed in current events. I cared very deeply about my new voting rights, and I wanted to exercise them carefully. I conducted thorough research regarding the various candidates’ policies. Interestingly enough, I ended up voting for the candidate I was initially opposed to.

In-depth research is something we should all be doing. Our years spent in college are an essential time for developing our own personal beliefs and views. We need to consciously examine our immediate world to find precisely what matters most. This process involves time and introspection. More importantly, we need to cultivate our beliefs within our own cognitive space; this undertaking must be free from any forced conformity.

The practice of self-analysis is immensely important because the ideal candidate for an election is the one who can best lead given current events. In other words, a certain political party may lose relevancy in regards to what’s happening in the present. So, if you vote for a party merely because your family traditionally votes that way, please realize their platform could be defunct in light of what’s actually going on.

I do not insist that we all need to switch political parties. It may very well be that upon your reflection you find that the traditional party you are accustomed to does, in fact, conform to your personal beliefs.

If we all do this, we will elect the best candidates and the political party divide will diminish. I believe this is an essential step toward making our democratic process and our government work better.

The democratic system only works if leaders are elected by a majority electorate that truly represents the majority consensus of current issues. Elections are often dictated by very close margins, and this illustrates why the system isn’t working. Every election should be decided by very large margins, I’d say well above three fourths majority. I think this would be possible if more people realized the gravity of current issues instead of basing voting decisions on familiarity.

Franklin Roosevelt was elected for four consecutive terms in office. Each time, he won by incredibly wide margins. I would argue he was one of America’s best presidents. His New Deal coalition rebranded our struggling nation.

Roosevelt’s time in office serves as the quintessential example of American democracy working as it should. American society chose him not because he was a Democrat, but because he was the person who understood the need for strong liberalism at the time. We will elect great leaders across all spectrums of government if we chose the candidates who are most dedicated to relevant and entirely current issues.

So, as midterm elections draw closer, take time to evaluate what you believe in. Similarly, take time to dismiss political parties and choose the candidate that will best serve based on the issues that currently hold relevance. The right to vote is a privilege that must be taken seriously, so doing your homework is essential.

Colin Mummery is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].