-Congratulations.
You're heading to the polls for the first time.
You might have a lot of questions.
And if you're confused, you're not alone.
Here are three steps you can take
to feel more confident about you vote.
Step one, make a voting plan.
This is going to take some Googling
because a lot of this depends on what state you're in.
Plus, we're in the middle of a pandemic.
-Make sure you're looking at the rules for 2020
and not the general rules.
Some states have made modifications.
-There are two ways you can vote --
by mail or you can go to the polls.
Voting by mail is a good option if you're worried about crowds.
Now you'll decide how you send it back.
-In some states, you can return a mail-in ballot at a drop box.
Some places, you can return it to a registrar's office
or a polling location.
-Those are good options if you're worried
about USPS delays.
The sad part about voting by mail
is you don't get that iconic polling place experience.
That might be really important to you.
So if you end up voting in person,
decide when you'll go.
You might be able to vote early.
-There is a safe and secure way for everybody to vote.
It's just a matter of choosing the option
that works best for you and your tolerance for risk.
-No matter what, do everything early.
I learned this the hard way in college.
I ran to my polling place at the end of the day,
and I didn't make it in time.
Step two, focus on the biggest issues you care about.
I know it's tempting to look up what candidates have said
about every single topic,
but try to pick just two or three.
-As humans, we are limited information processors.
We can't really hold all that much information
in our heads simultaneously.
That also means that this idea of just learning
as much you can about everything
and trying weigh everything against everything
doesn't necessarily lead to the best decision.
-Sometimes it's hard to see how national issues
actually affect your life.
What do you worry about every day?
Connect that to the bigger picture.
-Try to make that connection from how it affects
your local community,
how it aligns with your values to the larger national debate.
-In your search, you'll see websites and writers
you don't recognize.
Find out what their deal is and be critical of everything.
You'll also see some facts and some opinions.
Both are fine to look at, but just remember they're different.
-Facts are going to often be backed up with numbers
and statistics,
almost like when you're doing a research paper, right?
-Once you're done with your research,
talk it out with a friend.
They can point out things you're missing
or flaws in your thinking.
And remember, always be a skeptic.
Step three, go out and vote.
Even if you don't love all the candidates.
Because not voting can actually cost you.
-By choosing to abstain, you're not really abstaining.
You're just giving somebody else your little piece of power.
So you're letting other people decide for you.
-There's a whole history of people
being prevented from voting,
and that may make you feel discouraged.
But on the flip side, it shows how important it is
to use your vote.
-Your vote definitely doesn't count if you don't vote.
If we want to make claims about voter suppression,
those are actually really hard to measure,
but we definitely can't measure the woulda, coulda, shouldas.
-You might have really strong feelings about a certain issue,
and that's totally fine.
Sometimes I like to ask myself, "How am I feeling right now
and how might that be affecting my point of view?"
Another good trick, try defending the other side,
and see what your learn.
- I would often assign students to just tell me
what you think about a particular issue.
Those that were for it and those that were against --
then I would make them flip.
That makes you think really critically about the who,
what, where, and why of a particular issue.
And be objective.
-Sometimes when we're deciding who to vote for,
we say this person is bad and this person is good.
And voting for them means we 100% agree
with everything they've ever said.
That's not really a helpful way of thinking,
and it's also probably not possible, right?
-A lot of people, I think, feel that if they vote
for a candidate that they don't agree with 100,
their integrity is compromised, and that's really not true.
You want to think about this as your ability
to exercise your power
to at least give an indication of the direction
that you want this country to head in.
-We're in the middle of a moment in which our country
is facing a reckoning,
and we're not going to get ourselves out of this position
unless we hear from all of us.
-I hope you feel less confused.
I, myself, learned so much while making this video.
I decided to do a mail-in ballot,
and I walked it to a drop box.
Let me know how you voted.
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