Are you registered to vote? The deadline for North Carolina is 10/10. You can also do one stop early voting after that and get registered and vote at the same time if necessary. (That’s just in NC, though! If you live somewhere else, find your state’s Board of Elections website and get info there.) If you aren’t a fan of either Obama or McCain, you can always vote third party. The more people who do so, the more chance there is of viable 3rd party candidates in the future. And while I am enthusiastic about my chosen candidate this year, I have not been too thrilled over my choices in the past. It would have been nice to have a 3rd choice. I wish I’d done that in the past 2 elections!
It looks like NC is short on 3rd party candidates (I checked the list on the SBOE website…you should be able to do the same for your state) but Bob Barr is represented as the Libertarian candidate and there are a few “qualified write-ins” you could choose from. If Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin isn’t your cup of tea you can research the others and find the one who most closely aligns with your politics.
Don’t rely on email forwards or attack ads to learn what the candidates’ platforms are. Visit the websites of each candidate, including 3rd party. Read what their personal plans involve. Find non-biased news sources…no, Fox News is not non-biased, though I’m sure most would argue that the NY Times isn’t, either. 
Just keep an open mind. You may be surprised.
No candidate will be perfect. You’re looking for the person who best represents your values. And it’s always good to remember that the president’s influence can only extend so far…as much as I like to blame the country’s woes on our current leader, I know that it’s not all his fault. He didn’t get us into this mess without help from a lot of different places, including individuals like you and I.
If you’re still having a hard time, try using online quizzes to help you choose a candidate. Most will focus only on the big two, but it may give you an idea of where your true political center lies. Here’s some I’ve tried. Some of them surprised me, but they all reinforced my decision in the end.
SelectSmart…this one includes 3rd party choices.
I don’t think it’s a secret where my affiliation lies. And while I’d love it if you voted for my guy, I think it’s more important to push people to vote. Make your voice heard. That’s really all any of us can do…
