Final answer:
Staying informed helps voters understand their agreement with candidates, enables them to make informed decisions, and strengthens democracy by providing clear signals to elected officials.
Step-by-step explanation:
Staying informed on important issues helps voters in several ways, but most directly, it helps voters know which candidates they agree with and why. Being well-informed enables voters to send clear signals to their leaders about their preferences and expectations through voting. It only makes sense that democracy benefits when voters have differentiated options that closely represent their own preferences on key issues. Moreover, when voters are informed, they can critically evaluate the information presented by candidates and the media, thereby making more thoughtful choices that reflect their interests and values.