Your one vote does matter. Hard to believe, but you must vote, democracy is truly on the line. Imagine if there are others out there who think that their one vote doesn’t matter too. If anything good has come out of these last few years through the normalization of catchphrases such as “fake news”, the division of our country’s political parties more than they have ever been, new platforms that allow politicians to bald-faced lie to their constituents, it is that people are interested in voting.

The primaries are going on right now all across the country and some of the states are seen as battleground states. 

What are battleground states? Well, some states historically are either red or blue states but many of these states are considered able to be flipped. If certain states are flipped and are swing states (states that could push the election one way or another) the outcome of Nov. 8 will change the face of politics. It has always been this way, however, this election and your vote will more than likely affect the way many of us live our lives.

The days of voting a straight Republic or Democratic ticket will not do. The average voter has taken it for granted and just voted for a political ticket without even thinking about it. Luckily many resources can be used to help you vote for politicians who align with your views.

The candidates who have gone unopposed for years have experienced the redistricting of their voting communities, and are no longer going unopposed and the average voter has decided to run for office. The demographics of both the House and Senate as well as many gubernatorial elections will determine what our country looks like. It is still anyone’s race at this point so your one vote does matter.

Here are some voting basics that will assist you in making your vote count. The sites offer nonpartisan opinions and give the voter much-needed information about the candidates running for office. If you are voting in the State of Illinois visit the “Illinois State Board of Elections.” The overturning of Roe v. Wade has brought to the forefront the need for a woman to vote. Women are using their votes as their voices. 

So, if you are female or identify as such visit the League of Women Voters of Illinois that is providing up-to-the-minute information on candidates running for office. If you desire to find out what is happening in those battleground states be sure to visit https://www.usa.gov/voting for that information.