Barack Obama and Michelle Obama Cast Their Votes in Chicago

Barack and Michelle Obama brought their two daughters with them to the ballot box early Tuesday morning, in the hopes that their votes will be among the millions of others that might earn the Obama family an extended stay at the big white house on Pennsylvania Avenue. The press was present at the Chicago elementary school as the couple carefully read their ballots and cast their votes.

Michelle Obama took decidedly longer than her husband to complete her ballot, as there were many local races and questions to be voted upon. Afterwards, the Democratic Presidential nominee joked that he would have to confirm exactly who Michelle voted for. Most people who vote today are likely to face questions and local political races that they were completely unaware of until today. This always adds an element of uncertainty to the voting process and, in some instances, leads to would-be voters deciding not to vote. What many people don't realize is that they do not have to vote in races or on questions for which they don't know the candidates or the issue at hand.

A simple vote for President or the issues within the ballot with which they are familiar is acceptable. Just as Michelle Obama took some extra time to review the issues being presented on her ballot, millions of Americans are going to be faced with the same uncertainty. The important thing is that we take the few minutes to actually participate in the voting process. By reading the individual questions presented on a typical voting ballot, the average voter can learn quite a bit about the issues that are affecting their local governments and communities. Often, these are the issues that turn out to be even more important than the eventual selection of the President of the United States.