My sophomore year of high school I took an amazing trip to the American South called "Sojourn to the Past." On this trip I learned so much about the importance of community involvement in making a change in the world. Though I learned many things from that trip that I will use for the rest of my life, perhaps the most important thing I learned can be summarized in a single word-- VOTE!

While learning about Vernon Dahmer, a notable NAACP member and Civil Rights Activist, our group was told his most notable quote: "If you don't vote, you don't count." These simple words have stuck with me through every article I read about people of my generation not using their right to vote. And to be honest, that really pisses me off.

Generations before us have fought for our right to vote-- especially women and minority voters. If we don't exercise this right, then we are disrespecting our elders. They fought endlessly for so many years so we could have this right. To not use it would just be downright rude and disrespectful of all of their hard work.

So many people on my social media feeds are constantly complaining about something the government is doing. If you don't like something, your vote gives you the power to voice that opinion! My grandma has this quote on her refrigerator that says, "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." With the case of voting, we have the power to change things. Forming campaigning groups and convincing our peers to vote can truly make a difference. 93 million eligible citizens did not vote in the 2012 election. The total population of eligible voters was around 219 million in 2012. That means these 93 million people truly could have changed the outcome of the election. Do not ever discount your value, especially when it comes to something that will influence your future and the future of your government.

Did I mention that voting is super simple? In some states, you are automatically registered to vote when you renew (or receive) your driver's license. That's killing two birds with one stone! There is no reason not to register! If you are not already registered, here is a link to do so. Yep. It's that easy. As well, the process of actually voting is very easy. If you're going to be out of town (or you don't have time) on election day to physically go to the polls, you can vote on an absentee ballot (but make sure you send in your application 7 days before election day). Here is more information if you would like to vote absentee.

Now that we all know how to vote and why it's important that we do so, let's start studying up on these candidates and propositions so we make informed decisions! Happy voting!