Voters cannot make informed decisions if they cannot even understand the ballot.  
During the election today, more will be decided than who will be elected President of the United States. Individual states are taking the opportunity to propose amendment changes to their citizens.
However, the language on the ballot describing these amendments is convoluted, at best, and has vocabulary that the layman would not understand. Do you know what an ad valorum tax is? No, but you probably marked “yes” or “no” anyway. The problem with this is that not enough information is presented to voters on the ballot so that they can have a clear idea of what they are actually voting for. Down the road, someone may realize that they voted “yes” when they wanted to vote “no,” and that is not how Democracy works.
We are beyond the era of requiring literacy tests to vote; even if you never finished middle school your rights as an American citizen should remain unabridged.  Considering it took three upperclassmen college students (myself, my roommate and his fiancée) two hours to research each candidate and piece of legislation until we were comfortable with our choices, it becomes apparent that something needs to change, but not the ballot.
Every man and woman over the age of eighteen needs to realize that no one will hand them the information they need to make a responsible decision during elections. It is, therefore, their responsibility to keep track of elections and what they will decide. Open your laptop, boot up your computer or go to your local library and find the facts you need a week before you head to the polls; do not make your decisions in the poll booth.  Make a calendar, keep a journal or make pie charts; do whatever it takes for you to know exactly when you will vote and what you are voting for.
It’s true that by the time this has been printed, it would be too late to do all of the research, fact checking and comparisons, but this is a mindset that every practitioner of Democracy must have: voting as a sacred duty.
During the Arab Spring, thousands of people were maimed or killed because they wanted to have the fate of their country in their hands, not the hands of a dictator. Thousands more have died in the clashes of recent and ancient history over this same desire. The only reason we developed as a nation is because we fought and won the same struggle. What are we saying to those who died in that struggle if we become complacent, bovine citizens?
The next time you go to the ballot box, whether four years from now or for the next Parish President, don’t go in unsure of what and who you will vote for.
There are many websites out there that claim to have all the ins and outs of what’s on the ballot, but generally speaking a good place to start is geauxvote.com. Again, it’s too late for this year, but keep this in mind for the next time we’re called to the polls.