Presidential nominees Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party, Donald Trump for the Republican Party, Gary Johnson for the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein for the Green Party are on the Nov. 8 ballot along with nominees for the Illinois senator and U.S. representative. Go to Page 2 for more information on voting.

Kristen Adams

Columnist

I plan on voting because the presidency is not the only position being decided at the polls and the president can influence other positions.

This is an extremely important decision, now more than ever, because whoever becomes the next president will most likely decide the next five Supreme Court justices, according to an Aug. 5 Washington Post article.

If any of the candidates were to become president, they would appoint officials that support his or her own agendas.

While this is a given, the Supreme Court holds a significant amount of power that, combined with the presidency, can overturn landmark cases such as Roe v. Wade, which sets the precedent that women have the right to have an abortion.

I will vote and encourage my friends to register and vote as well. I will get informed on more local decisions which directly affect our communities just as much as the presidential election.

With young adults 18 to 29 years old only making up about 21 percent of the voting eligible population in 2014, according to campusvoteproject.org, fewer people in that demographic are voting, which can change the outcome of the election, too.

Maddie Steen

Columnist

I plan on voting in this upcoming election, though I do not support the Republican or Democratic candidates, because the people we vote on now will have a huge influence on future policy.

Even though the current political environment appalls me, this will be the first presidential election that I will be of age to vote. I am making a decision that will shape my own future and will affect generations to come.

Overall satisfaction with the candidates of this election is at the lowest it has been in two decades, according to the Pew Research Center.

Only 43 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Republicans are satisfied with the choices of candidates. I am not satisfied with the candidate choices, but voting is still more important than ignoring this election.

If we choose not to vote, someone else will, leaving our future in other voter’s hands. I don’t want to go through the next four years regretting that I didn’t help make a difference.

I highly encourage everyone to do some research and vote for their future. We must voice our opinions and stand up for what we believe in. Being an adult means making important decisions, not running away from them.

Brooklynn Harper

Columnist

When I voted in the primaries this past spring, I did so eagerly, but I decided I cannot vote this fall. I lost hope for our voting system when I was left with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Third party candidates are still an option, but Libertarian party nominee Gary Johnson is drawing about 7 percent of national polls, and Green party nominee Jill Stein is without a following as she is not listed on the most recent polls, according to a Sunday Huffington Post poll.

Such low predictions leave me feeling third parties are a hopeless dream. No third party has drawn even 10 percent of voters since Ross Perot gathered 19 percent in 1992.

I am distrustful of Clinton because of her widely publicized past deceptions, such as Benghazi investigation and the email scandal.

I am opposed to Trump because I feel that he is very closed-minded and too immature and rude to be the face of an entire country.

With third party victories being almost impossible, I have decided to save my first general election voting experience for when there is a candidate I can actually tolerate and for whom my support will actually make a difference.

Ian Tancun

Columnist

I will be voting in the general election next month because I want to participate in the democratic process. I find it obnoxious when people complain about how lousy certain policies are but then admit they do not vote. Those people have no business complaining about how unhappy they are with the political landscape and the outcome of the election.

I plan to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. I understand people feel she’s untrustworthy and refuse to support her. I respect that.

Candidate choices are bleak with a 56 percent unfavorable rating for Clinton and a 63 percent unfavorable rating for Donald Trump, according to an Aug. 31 ABC News/Washington Post poll. I have heard many friends and family members say they are not voting as a result of these lackluster options.

This is a mistake because other candidates are being elected this November; an important Illinois Senate race between Republican Mark Kirk and Democrat Tammy Duckworth could help the Democrats win back control of the Senate if Duckworth is elected. If people don’t vote, their decision may have far-reaching repercussions. My advice to all students: I do not care who you vote for, just vote.