CMV: If you are a voter, you have a responsibility of knowing who/what you vote for in the coming election

This is a topic that has been very important to me this year. I am of the belief that if you decide to cast a vote in an election, it is your responsibility to do your own research on the candidates. Now what I mean by that is doing your due diligence on learning everything you can on the candidates you are voting for. It is your job as a citizen to learn about them, and it is up to you to critically evaluate their stance in comparison to your own views. This isn’t just limited to the Presidential election, but should be held for every candidate whom you choose to vote for. In my opinion, the first reason for this view is that it is your duty as a citizen of a democracy to be well-informed on the topics at hand. By going out and doing your own research, you are doing your job as a citizen and taking an active role in the democratic process. This requires you to take your time, and not just let others do all the work for you. The second reason I hold this view is that if you just let others do the work for you, it would be like having your friend take your SAT for you, or having a tutor do the work for you on a final exam. It defeats the purpose, and you’re wasting everybody’s time. Something important like this should not be taken lightly, and should be done in a critical and responsible manner. The third reason I hold this view is that if democracy is to function well, we must have educated citizens, whom are active in the process. I don’t think it is necessary to be an expert in politics, but merely to be well-informed on the candidate you vote for.