On Tuesday, students will be asked to fill in bubbles on a sheet with far broader impact than any exam – the state ballot for the midterm election. The people Wisconsin votes into office will affect the course of the state for years to come, but candidates have neglected some vital, long-term issues.
As the youngest generation of voters, students will be the ones feeling the effects of these issues in the long run. So, while it’s easy to focus on more immediate concerns like tuition, student voters need to get informed on where the candidates stand on more complex matters – and to stand up and be heard in the upcoming election.

There are problems facing the state – and the nation – that can’t be solved with 30-second sound bites. Our health care system needs reform. We need to ensure that Social Security will be there to support us when we reach retirement age. We need to develop viable, alternative forms of energy because our dependence on oil is launching us into environmental and political disaster. These are complex problems that demand nuanced, complex solutions.

But nuance is not conducive to campaigning. So while candidates agree that something needs to be done, they don’t always have answers, and they will continue to stick to more black-and-white issues – like jobs, tuition and gay marriage – unless voters take them to task.

Today’s students are going to be powering their cars and homes, paying their medical bills and eventually retiring when plans instituted now start to reach fruition, so they need to demand a voice in these issues. And the only way to make elected officials listen to that voice is to vote.

So take some time out on Tuesday, exercise your civic responsibility and step into the voting booth. But before you fill in the bubbles, make sure you’ve studied up on where the candidates stand on the issues that will matter long after your student loans are paid off.