On Tuesday, November 2nd we all had a day off from school. This welcomed break was due to the Midterm Elections, marking two years since Obama came into office. Millions of American people flocked to churches, malls, and other buildings where they filled out the ballot and had their say in government affairs. Unfortunately, many people who vote can be biased or uneducated about what exactly they are voting for. A great number of people vote based on what their family and friends tell them, or who the popular or most attractive candidate is. I believe that in order to vote you need to have a well-educated opinion. Many people blindly vote for someone without actually knowing their 
principles or values. Even worse, it has been reported that some people are so confused that they simply put down whoever’s name looks the most familiar on the ballot. In an article from New York Times, it was stated that candidates whose names were placed at the top had on average 2% more votes than they had in previous elections. This study showed that people sometimes vote just for the first name they see. The misrepresented way that America votes needs to stop, and like Obama famously says, “It’s time for change.”
An idea that has been in my head lately is the notion of a blind election. There should be a website where you can have a practice vote before the real thing. The candidates’ names and political parties would not be stated on the website and therefore would allow people to vote without any form of bias and prejudice. Instead, voters would read the principles, values, and the aspirations of the candidates and then vote based on which one they preferred. After voting the site would tell who they had voted for and the political party of that person. Many would be surprised by their results.
America boasts that anyone can vote as long as they have proof of citizenship and are at least 18 years of age. In my opinion, there should be more regulations. Voting is a privilege, and it should not be given to just anyone. People who have numerous criminal records should not be given the right to vote; they have proven that they cannot even be responsible for themselves and they should not be allowed the responsibility of the fate of the country. Many people who vote are not even educated about politics or the candidates running. That is why I think it would be a good idea to offer a crash course on government and politics for those who were not able to attend a high school or just want to educate themselves further. Citizens need to take the responsibility for educating themselves on political matters. They need to form a knowledgeable opinion, or not express it all.
Written by: Jordan Gates
principles or values. Even worse, it has been reported that some people are so confused that they simply put down whoever’s name looks the most familiar on the ballot. In an article from New York Times, it was stated that candidates whose names were placed at the top had on average 2% more votes than they had in previous elections. This study showed that people sometimes vote just for the first name they see. The misrepresented way that America votes needs to stop, and like Obama famously says, “It’s time for change.”An idea that has been in my head lately is the notion of a blind election. There should be a website where you can have a practice vote before the real thing. The candidates’ names and political parties would not be stated on the website and therefore would allow people to vote without any form of bias and prejudice. Instead, voters would read the principles, values, and the aspirations of the candidates and then vote based on which one they preferred. After voting the site would tell who they had voted for and the political party of that person. Many would be surprised by their results.
America boasts that anyone can vote as long as they have proof of citizenship and are at least 18 years of age. In my opinion, there should be more regulations. Voting is a privilege, and it should not be given to just anyone. People who have numerous criminal records should not be given the right to vote; they have proven that they cannot even be responsible for themselves and they should not be allowed the responsibility of the fate of the country. Many people who vote are not even educated about politics or the candidates running. That is why I think it would be a good idea to offer a crash course on government and politics for those who were not able to attend a high school or just want to educate themselves further. Citizens need to take the responsibility for educating themselves on political matters. They need to form a knowledgeable opinion, or not express it all.
Written by: Jordan Gates
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