In current times, it is common for people to just vote solely with one’s political party in elections, because if that candidate does end up in the office they are running for, they will vote with that same party in most, if not all, decisions requiring their vote.

The knowledge of this fact, however, can cause people to vote without any additional understanding on the candidates who are running. People just go to polling places, vote straight party and leave two minutes later. If the people who end up in office correlate with the voter’s party, the voters are pleased with the result; if not, they are upset.

Knowing preliminary information on the candidates is more important than most people think. Character, values and beliefs matter more than the idea of party affiliation. Although you may generally agree with the basic ideas and values of one party more than another, that does not necessarily mean everyone who claims to be with the party will have all of the values you agree with. It is important to actually do some research into the people in your party to find out where they really stand on issues you perceive as the most important in our country.

There is no such thing as a perfect political party, there is no such thing as a perfect candidate, just as there is no such thing as a perfect human being (other than Jesus Christ). Because of this, difficult choices often need to be made. People vote for whom they think will influence our government for the better. The diversity of opinions in the country make it very difficult to find people who agree with you on every single political subject, let alone have all the same morals and values you hold.

One of the main reasons it is so important to find out the views of political candidates on the prevalent issues the U.S. faces is for the purpose of comparison. Due to diversity of opinions, in order to best help the country through your vote, it is best to compare and contrast the opinions and values of the candidates against your own. It might surprise you to find you agree with both parties on different values surrounding current-day issues.

In the end, it may come down to which of your beliefs, values and opinions matter the most to you; which ones you feel will influence the country in a greater and more prominent way. Then, vote for the candidates who hold those values which are most important to you. Rather than voting for candidates in accordance with the political party that generally holds the same values and beliefs as you on a higher quantity of subjects, it may be far more important and influential to your country to vote in accordance with the candidates who hold the values you view as most important to have in the country.