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Tuesday, November 5th, is voting day for the 2024 presidential race. Every voter will have a chance to cast their ballot for who they want to be our next Commander in Chief. For some people on campus, this will be one of many elections they have already voted in. For others, it may be the first time they fill in the ballot. 

Election cycles can bring a lot of uncertainty. It may feel overwhelming for first-time voters to know where to start, or it may be tempting to skip voting altogether. In a predominantly two-party system, not voting is still a choice that impacts the outcomes of polling day. 

“If you don’t vote, you can’t cancel out a vote you don’t agree with,” said Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, President and CEO of U.S. Vote Foundation, based in Arlington, Virginia. 

The choice to skip the polls this November is still an act of choosing what happens in our lives because not voting doubles the voting power of those who do vote. 

This can leave voters feeling like they’re in a tight spot. Grand View University student Sarah Baker shared her thoughts about the last election.

“I was so conflicted because I honestly felt as though I was settling for the lesser of two evils,” Baker said.

Baker is not alone in feeling like she struggles with options. When such a heavy decision feels like a dilemma, there is the temptation to skip the vote. However, there are more constructive ways to approach the ballot.

The choice of who to vote for should result from being educated about the causes each voter cares about.  

“It’s not just the act of voting. We also have programs and education because we want an informed voter,” said Linda Serra Hagedorn, Vice President of the League of Women Voters of Iowa.

Being an informed voter means looking beyond who is running for any position and learning how they approach issues. 

The presidential election occurs every four years, which may make voters feel like they only need to worry about how they vote every four years. However, it is essential to consider that voting affects our daily lives, long after  an election. 

“Let’s not forget, it is in front of our face all the time. Do we have parks, or do we have parking lots?” Dzieduszycka-Suinat said. 

Voting impacts issues that directly touch the lives of everyone within our communities. Election day holds more power than choosing who to put into the Oval Office. It can create changes that significantly affect our lives. One example is the shift in women’s voting rights. 

“It’s only been 100 years that women could vote. What we have here is precious and can change. Just because we have freedoms [now] doesn’t mean we will have them ad infinitum,” Hagedorn said.

Policies that affect our daily experiences are implemented by elected officials from our local city council, up to the president. These policies can impact things like  whether children receive healthy school lunches or how much interest is paid on student loans. When voters choose who to put into government positions, they choose who will make choices on their behalf for four to eight years for a president and decades for seats in Congress.

One of the best ways to reduce the overwhelming indecision is to be an educated voter. It can be easy to fall into the trap of finding information about each candidate only through social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram or to rely on advertisements that mostly use tactics of bashing their opponents. 

There are several more reliable options to learn about the issues that candidates focus on most. 

“Reading or listening to more established [sources, such as] your local news stations can provide a lot of information,” Hagedorn said.

There are also ways for voters to quickly discover which candidates most closely align with their values. Each candidate has a website that voters can visit. The website will show which direction they vote on different issues and what they plan to accomplish while holding office. Votesmart.org offers the voting record of all candidates so people can understand how they will approach every issue. 

The turnout of every election may feel personal to some who experience the direct effects of certain issues, like homeless people who may receive citations for sleeping in public if specific policies are enacted. To others, it may feel as if their vote doesn’t matter. 

“We know that now, one vote can decide an election,” Dzieduszycka-Suinat said. 

Elected officials are the people who ultimately make decisions that affect education, the economy and foreign policy—issues that touch everyone’s lives. Voting gives people a voice to change what they care about, such as climate change, social justice issues, funding for community resources, refugee and immigrant policies and beyond. 

With so much information available, deciding what to pay attention to can be challenging. Voters can narrow their focus to a few crucial sources or factors that matter most to them and proceed from there. 

GVU student Keimara Roby said several factors impact her decision on who to vote for. 

“Candidates’ values and track record, how they plan to address issues I think are important in communities [and] opinions of trusted sources, such as friends and family, motivate my decision who to vote for,” Roby said.

Many resources are available for voters to quickly identify rules about voting in their state, from voting eligibility to how to request an absentee ballot.