The season of political ads and frenzied newscasts is upon us once again, and it seems this year the politicians are more backstabbing than ever. With the barrage of bashing ads and the debate mess-ups, it’s difficult to separate the politicians from their images to make an informed voting decision.

Most citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote. But it is a privilege that should not be taken lightly. Choosing the person that will lead the country for the next four years is a responsibility that many people don’t take very seriously.

If you’re going to vote, be informed. Take everything into consideration; don’t just cast a random vote. You’ll probably never find one person who embraces all of your views, but at least find the best match instead of voting blindly or based solely on media bias.

You can’t believe everything you hear. The goals of most political ads run these days are not to accentuate the good qualities of one politician, but to point out the bad qualities in another. These ads should be taken with a grain of salt.

Once you discern the facts from the lies, don’t just focus on one thing that a candidate supports. A politician who is pro- some things may be anti- others. If you have some differing opinions, are you willing to sacrifice one belief for another?

You really should be well-informed to make a decision on whom to support. For example, according to a recent poll done by 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair, two percent of Americans think Mitt Romney’s full first name is Mittens. Actually, it’s Willard.

Not only do you need to do your research, but make sure your candidate of choice does, too. After Kim Jong-il’s death in December 2011, former Republican candidate Rick Perry infamously called him “Kim Jong Two.”

One last thing to keep in mind is that our generation has different values than our parents’ generation. Perhaps you hold the same views as your parents, but many people don’t, and that is fine. Instead of following your parents’ choices, vote for who you think will do the best job in office.

The fact is, no politician is perfect. But if people do their research, perhaps we’ll end up with someone who is best fit for the job.