Since the dawn of time, parents had the ability to influence their children. Whether the parents realizes it or not, their opinions and beliefs have ways of imprinting themselves on their children. One of the most important influences is political party affiliation. Sharing an opinion with those who raised you is not necessarily a bad trait, as long as you are informed. Teenage rebellion is a popular trend, but don’t pick a different party just for the sake of defying parents. According to The Boston Review, 45 percent of Americans go to the polls with little knowledge about the candidates or their policies. With this election, a majority of the policies will have a direct effect upon this generation, from education to health care. Election time can be intimidating for first-time voters. We urge those old enough to vote to take the time to register and research the candidates up for office. Avoid websites or papers that are biased toward one candidate. Try not being swayed by the opinion of your parents. We know it’s difficult to do, but pretty soon you’ll be the adult affected by the person in office. Though the effects may not show themselves immediately, they will in the future when it might be too late. One of the beautiful things about being an American is having the freedom to choose the people in charge of our country. Voting is as simple as registering online, researching your candidate and simply showing up on Election Day. For those of you who already possess political opinions, ask yourselves how you came to those conclusions. There’s no wrong answer, unless you blindly follow your favorite reality star’s uninformed opinion. There are plenty of ways to research the current candidates. There are websites such as: www.balancedpolitics.org or www.factcheck.org. Online quizzes exist that will tell you which candidate you agree with the most and take five minutes at most . If you are not comfortable searching the internet for your answers, try asking your parents. They have had years to form their own political opinions. Ask them why they like the candidate they do, but don’t be afraid to disagree with them. You have as much right to an opinion as they do; just remember to be respectful.