As many seniors celebrate their 18th birthday they are gifted with many new privileges including signing themselves out from school. 

One gift these seniors receive is the right to vote. Seniors who are registered voters can vote for the upcoming Presidential Primary election and next year’s General Presidential elections. These ballots provide the opportunity to vote for presidential candidate, California propositions, county measures and local government elections. 

Determining which candidate that best aligns with your values can be a difficult process, as America’s political landscape has become increasingly polarized and chaotic. 

Many Americans consult political commentators to help determine who to vote for because the commentators analyze current events and candidates. 

However, these political commentators are often extremely biased, integrating their personal views and opinions into their commentary, dismissing the opposing party’s views or policies. 

Additionally, these political commentator segments receive high cable news ratings and views online, indicating that many Americans tune into these shows because of their vibrant antics and entertaining digs towards defenseless opponents. 

Exclusively referencing biased sources when determining who to vote for may also diminish America’s abilities to fully form independent opinions about candidates or their policy. 

It is essential for all voters to thoroughly understand a candidate’s character, previous actions in their career and future policy plans in order to select who would best represent their beliefs. 

Voting for candidates that have similar values is essential as many of these politicians are much older than the average American, and due to the age gap, citizens and politicians may face ideological differences. 

Today’s youth are going to live under the policies that the people we elect will pass, making it crucial to understand the political landscape and what it means for the future of America. 

Here are some sources to reference during upcoming elections that have very little bias reccomended by AP Government teacher Tecia Barton:

https://www.vote.org/

https://www.factcheck.org/

https://www.isidewith.com/