November 8^th came and went. For the span of 24 hours, Americans held their breaths, anxiously watching the electoral votes pour in. Who’s it going to be? Clinton or Trump? We all know the results. Can I say I’m surprised? No, not really. When I was in high school, my government teacher once told me that you can determine the outcome of any presidential election based on which party currently holds the presidency. As much as it pains me to say, I half expected Trump’s win. This election is just the cherry on top of a perfect year [she says with heavy sarcasm].

To be honest, I was not fond of either candidate. I chose Hilary because she was clearly more qualified to take the role as president. She has been in politics for 40+ years compared to her opponent’s… let’s say light experience. Plus, it was about time we had a woman in office, but apparently others felt America needs a four year, mistake filled night on the town. As of now, I can only pray Trump knows his limits and doesn’t completely ruin the night for the rest of us.

As expected many Americans took to the streets outraged by the result. At least twenty-five US cities have seen Anti-Trump protests since election night. Canada’s immigration website crashed with so many inquiries. Following the results, several global markets were decimated. Apparently, a lot of people are not happy with our president elect. Of course not. It’s disappointing to know some individuals still voted despite the chauvinistic campaign he ran. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with him, but I feel a good lesson can be learned from this: vote when it counts.

On election night, the votes of the Electoral College determines the winner. The votes citizens cast only go towards the popular vote. For now, that’s something we can’t control, however, there is a way we can control the cards being dealt. Vote during the primaries. Prior to the general election [the one that determines the president.], there is a selection process to determine who will be the presidential candidate for each party. Through the caucus and the primary this selection is made. The caucus really doesn’t apply to the general public. Chosen delegates voice whether they’re favorable towards a candidate or uncommitted.  In a primary election, registered voters can vote for a candidate the same way you would for a presidential election. Now there are two types of primaries: closed [registered voters may vote for candidates in their party] and open [voters may choose from either parties].

Voting during primaries, which is usually between February and July of an election year, is the best way a voter can ensure their preferred candidate wins the nomination. Our voice is strongest in numbers. This may be cliché, but it’s true. Now we may not be able to choose the candidate on the opposite side, but we can make sure our nominee is able to take the challenge. Lord knows we’re going to need a strong candidate come 2020 because we don’t need a repeat of Election night 2016.d.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0].appendChild(s);