With the elections coming up, many people will be filling out ballots to vote on the next president of the United States. Currently, media coverage of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden seems to be the only thing on TV and online, and for good reason. The election sets a course for the US for the next four years, with both candidates having different ideas of what routes to take. 

Seniors and juniors that are 18 are now legally eligible to vote. Voting comes with a lot of responsibility. Especially with a global pandemic currently happening, this election will be very significant regarding how the nation continues to handle COVID-19.

Understanding the importance of voting in the first place is one major part of having knowledge about politics. Someone being able to vote means they are able to select who they think is a better fit to lead the nation. Watching debates and conducting research on candidates and their beliefs are crucial steps that are taken leading up to election day.

However, it is worth mentioning that not even concerning themselves with the world of politics is a common tendency amongst young people who are under the voting age. This mainly stems from the reason that the youth can not vote. 

It is understandable for someone not even yet in high school to not be politically active since the older a person gets the more the person develops and matures. Students in high school are more able to fully grasp information about a subject and be able to create a thought-out opinion. Especially when taking into account the sensitivity of the topic, an opinion should be well-constructed. 

Furthermore, one day all high schoolers will be eligible to vote. Having prior knowledge will be beneficial come that year of voting since a person can relay their experience on the prior administration and party that was in office. For someone to be able to understand the decisions that are made today and see those decisions progress into the future could influence their vote. 

Even those who can not vote can still make their voices be heard. If someone is passionate enough and is willing to put in effort into change about a certain topic, they can speak out about that subject. Creating awareness does influence voters on election day.