The  countdown is upon us. In three weeks, a good chunk of our population will be a part of selecting the next president of the United States of America.

With the recent vice presidential and second presidential debates, social media has been alight with tweets and Facebook posts about energy sources, Libya, Medicare, and women in binders.

I hope that every member of the Towson community has registered to vote – no matter how you view the system, if you feel that your voice is drowned out by the Electoral College, you matter.

Recently The Towerlight has published a slew of articles that explain four major questions on the referendum ballot – Questions 4-7, which address the DREAM Act, congressional redistricting, same-sex marriage and gambling expansion.

I’ve heard feedback regarding our coverage, and though I feel we have published a holistic view of what each Question represents, I’d like to clarify a couple items.

1. The DREAM Act would grant undocumented immigrants in our country in-state tuition at all Maryland colleges. This does not mean that any immigrant can waltz across the border and enroll in any institution of higher education. To qualify, the individual must have attended a Maryland high school for at least three years, as well as filed taxes for the past three years.

The student would then attend community college before transferring to a four-year school.

Many illegal immigrants pay taxes. In fact, one study states that immigrants paid $275 million in state and local taxes in 2011. No one is weaseling away from paying taxes and earning an education.

2. In my article regarding same-sex marriage, I stated without much context that “the deadline is Oct. 30.”

To clarify: You must submit your absentee ballot in the state of Maryland by 8 p.m. if you snail mail your request, or 11:59 p.m. by fax or email.

Visit elections.state.md.us/voting/absentee.html for full information.

3. We will be providing information about other items on the ballot, including your representation in Congress. Though we discuss Questions 4-7, there are other items that will be addressed. See next issue for more details.

I’ll finish with a call for action. I encourage every single individual who reads this article to make an informed decision about the future of your country.

Watch every debate, and then don’t be satisfied.

Conduct research with multiple unbiased and bipartisan sources.

I hope our articles are a resource for you, but our country is ripe with political discourse and new developments daily, on the hour, so turn on a television, and instead of watching  “Gossip Girl” (like I do on … ahem rare occasion) turn on CNN, Fox News or a local source, whatever your poison. #Beinformed2012