How to make the best choice when voting this November

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - We are just two weeks away from Election Day and a number of people have already headed to the polls to let their voices be heard.

But for those who haven’t, there are some tough choices on the ballot.

The midterm election is a big deal and if you aren’t familiar with some of the races on the ballot, it might be really confusing to know who to cast your vote for. Luckily there are things you can do to prepare yourself.

“Go to the Board of Elections website, and you can actually go into the voter information. On the right-hand side of that page, it says, ‘Sample ballot.’ I always go get my ballot ahead of time,” said Barb Colvin, the chair of voters for the League of Women Voters. “That way, I know what’s going to be on the ballot, no surprises.”

The good thing about the general election is that you don’t have to vote for just Republicans or just Democrats.

“The primary is the only time that you have to declare a party. It really doesn’t matter what your party is in a general election,” said Colvin.

That makes it easy for people to split their ballot, or cast votes for both parties, depending on the race or issue.

“You don’t have to vote for people who are in the party you profess. In a general election, you can vote for whomever you wish to vote for,” said Colvin.

And another thing voters may not be aware of: “You don’t have to vote in every single race,” said Colvin. “If you’re not familiar with who the people are, you can basically vote for the ones you are familiar with,” she added.

Colvin said the best thing you can do before Election Day is to educate yourself. She added that there’s still plenty of time to do research on issues and candidates. While voting may be a big decision, Colvin said it’s one that everyone should make.

“Empowering voters and defending democracy is a part of what we are about, and democracy means that the people choose. If the people don’t go vote, then the people aren’t choosing.”

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