"It would be transformative if everybody voted. That would counteract money more than anything. If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map in this country, because the people who tend not to vote are young; they’re lower income; they’re skewed more heavily towards immigrant groups and minority groups; and they’re often the folks who are — they’re scratching and climbing to get into the middle class." — President Barack Obama

In order to accurately reflect the ideas and beliefs of the entire nation, the entire nation needs to vote. We have the ability to provide our input on issues, so why not take advantage of this right?

Unfortunately, a lot of people, millennials believe that that they are not informed enough on issues in political issues to vote or that their vote does not count for anything.

The solution to the first problem is simple. Stay informed! Watching or reading the news can be time consuming, but there is a website that can help with this. TheSkimm.com provides a daily email with a brief summary of the news. It takes less than five minutes to read, and is extremely informative. Research the candidates and stay informed on the platforms that they are running on. Make note of the election dates. Primaries are just as important as the presidential elections that take place in November.

The second solution is to understand the importance of one or a few votes. In 2000, the race between Al Gore and George Bush came down to a few hundred votes. In 1960, JFK beat Nixon by 0.1 percent. Never underestimate the power of a singular vote. Millennials are also a large portion of the population. According to the Pew Research Center, there were 74.8 millennials, or people between the age of 18 and 34, in 2014. Millennials could majorly impact the election if they took the time to vote.

Out of every age group, millennials have had the lowest voter turnout for the past five presidential elections. While the percentage of millennial voters is rising, 45 percent of all eligible voters is completely unacceptable. Millennials have the important role of molding the future of the United States government, and it is crucial that they do so.

Many people have fought for the right to vote. The 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments have all been passed in order to ensure that everybody has an equal say in our country. The 26th Amendment was passed to make sure that everybody over the age of 18 has the right to vote. It is important that every eligible person takes advantage of this right.

Do research and stay updated on current events. Click here to register to vote. Talk to your friends and have them register as well. Be prepared to change the future for the better!