They have minions who watch the public for them and analyze our movements. They creep in the shadows until they’ve determined the right moment to make their move. They are powerful and can change the way we go about our daily lives with just one strike. They’re one of the most terrifying forces at play in our nation, planning ways to lure in the red-blooded American. 
This Halloween, it isn’t the goblins or ghosts that I’m afraid of. What’s really scaring me is Louisiana facing off against a bunch of monsters, villains and good-for-nothings next week. 
That’s right, Louisiana. Next week, we decide which politicians we want to battle with for the next term. The worst part is, they don’t have fangs or claws, or even that freaky laugh to distinguish them from the good guys. They just have large amounts of money and often a rather large political backing. In some cases, there may not even be a good guy.
On Tuesday, Texas voters will have to make the hard choice between one candidate who used her opponent’s physical handicap in an attack ad and an opponent who implied to a reporter that he doesn’t support interracial marriage. 
These are the sorts of petty tactics that make the political game one that doesn’t seem fun for the voters. In our own Senate race, the Louisiana candidates participated in a debate hosted by the Manship School for Mass Communication, but it seemed they couldn’t answer a question without lashing out at their opponents. 
It almost seems like a dog show where each political party parades their candidate in front of the voters. The candidates have been trained to complete tricks and bark on cue to satisfy the viewers. 
But when I was watching the debate with University students in the Lawton Auditorium Wednesday night, I noticed a lot of eye rolling and ironic laughter. It seems students have an apathetic mindset toward politicians, and I don’t blame them. I’ve seen “House of Cards,” and while Kevin Spacey is equal parts terrifying and inspiring, it’s apparent that politicians aren’t very  concerned with their voters. 
Politics isn’t a game for just the radicals to play, but that’s how the Senate elections are perceived. It’s an endless tug-of-war, started before we were born, and we’ve all been signed up for a round this year. Unless we show up for the game, it’s going to be an easy win for the bad guys. 
If you aren’t registered to vote, sadly it is too late to do so for this upcoming midterm election. But there’s another one next year, and you’ll probably forget about this column before then. 
So go ahead and register to vote. I registered to vote the summer before my freshman year of college at Baton Rouge Pride Fest. There are so many places you can register, and no excuse not to. 
The politically apathetic have told me time and time again they don’t like politics, don’t see their vote counting, don’t have any hope in the government and ask why they should even bother. 
The first time I voted was in the 2012 presidential election. I voted knowing the majority of my state wasn’t going to vote with me. But I also voted for state offices. I can proudly say that I voted Kip Holden into his second term as Baton Rouge mayor. And every victory of the Holden administration has been a victory of mine. 
National politics are daunting, and we are far too disconnected to feel its immediate rewards. If anything, we should be more excited for midterm elections. Change happens on the local level. That’s where we introduce third-party candidates, where money is rarely exchanged behind closed doors. That’s where the least amount of political corruption takes place.
We have senators, state executives, courts and school boards to decide. We have to set up a committee that is strong and reflective of our community’s values. And that decision starts when we eliminate the monsters at the polling booth on Tuesday. 
Jana King is a 20-year-old communication studies major from Ponchatoula, Louisiana. You can reach her on Twitter @jking_TDR.