I remember casting my first vote. Favorite debate pen in hand, laptop open, and ballot flat on the dinner table, all ready to fill out. Amid researching candidates and propositions I had briefly heard of but barely knew about, I knew I'd make one choice before I even reached the legal voting age: I was going to vote for Bernie Sanders.

Reasoning aside, I'm a registered Democrat and even if I knew Hillary Clinton would end up accepting the nomination, I still made up my mind to vote for Sanders. Why? Simply put, more votes lead to more delegates and thus a greater say in shaping the party's platform.

After sealing my envelope, I hadn't thought much drawing lines on an awkwardly long paper– until the Democratic National Convention, when Senator Sanders addressed a crowd of thousands, perhaps millions of people viewing from home. When he mentioned the "13 million Americans who voted for the political revolution," it was more than yet another politician throwing around a statistic to thunderous applause. I was part of the 13 million. Part of a collective effort to represent his ideals on a national scale. When he announced that worked with Clinton to create "the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party," I felt that my vote did more than just select a candidate. It helped outline policies that would be proposed, debated, and hopefully passed, for the American people.

And that's what democracy's about– advocating for the causes you believe in. Obviously, because everyone can't be a government policymaker, we need to ensure those who share our views are in the position to do so. If our views aren't represented, then it's important to ensure that they are (all while voting for candidates who will make the process more democratic).

Even if national elections may seem very far-fetched, state and local elections involve issues that directly affect us, such as housing, transportation infrastructure, and college tuition. It's crucial that we ensure our interests are accounted for at all levels of government, because democracy is automatically more representative, and thus more effective, if more people vote (and are informed voters). So regardless of what party we identify with, what issues we deem important, let's ensure we cast our ballots this November because a vote missed is a voice muted.