Written by Julia Rodriquez, Staff Writer

The media has been frantic lately over the Presidential campaigns; however, the election date is over a year away. Some find this bombardment of information unnecessary, because it is so early. But, the coverage is important when preparing to have well informed voters.

Even if a voter is not attentively following the campaign, they will still get bits and pieces of information by hearing others talk about it, seeing commercials, etc.  This is why putting the information out early is beneficial.  The more time a voter has to hear what is going on, the more information they will have collected by the end.  A voter with proper knowledge of the candidates and their campaigns is likely to vote in the election.

“To be honest, I would feel uncomfortable voting without being informed,” said Samuel Hoffman, a 21-year-old voter. “The American people should be up to speed on the policies and views of the candidates.”

Knowing the campaign is especially important for U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 to 29.  This age group is not well represented, because many of them don’t vote.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, those 18 to 29 make up 20 percent of the U.S. population, however, only 45 percent of them vote.  For comparison, those 65 and older make up only 13.4 percent of the population, yet, 72 percent of them vote.

Many U.S. citizens complain that the government is not giving attention to the issues that concern them. However, many of those same citizens are never putting in their say by voting.  According to the American Presidency Project, in 2012 only 54.87 percent of the American population voted.

Early campaign coverage leads to more informed citizens which leads to more voters.  The more voters there are the more people and groups that are represented.

All of the information that the media is putting out now may be a nuisance to some, but it is necessary to all.  Being informed stirs up emotions that make Americans want to voice their opinions.  Even those who do not or cannot vote should be aware of what is going on in the country.  A nation that makes its own decisions, should know what it is deciding on.