Victory speeches, caucuses, primary elections. What does it all mean? Whose side are you on?? Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, Mitt Romney.. the list goes on and on. But if you think that it’s too late to get into the action for the 2008 elections, think again. There’s still time to get election-educated (on top of being school-educated) so you’ll be able to vote in the all-important general election in November.

There are many resources to help you through the process. Don’t you want to have some sort of say in electing YOUR president for the next four years?! Get on it now!!

First, you need to make sure you are registered to vote. You can do this online through various outlets, including Rock the Vote. You must be 18 years of age to register. It’s your right as an American citizen to vote so be sure to exercise that right as soon as you can. This is an important election that can really go any number of ways. Raise your voice!

Second, check out the candidates and what they stand for. Do you even know what you stand for? For a question-and-answer quiz that lists the main issues Americans are concerned with, take a look at http://www.govote.com. After you finish the quiz, the site matches you up to the candidate that agrees with you most. You can also see how you compare to other candidates. It’s a great jumping off point. You can also get politics updates sent to you daily by signing up for the New York Times politics email newsletter.

January is already half over… Get educated and get going immediately!!

-Amanda Fornecker