In one of the most important elections of our lifetime, and the first that many of us can actually participate in, voting this year is a must. This is to anyone who is able, but is choosing not to vote.

“It’s not that big of a deal; it’s just one vote.”

How cool is it to say YOU helped hand-pick the next leader of the free world? That’s a pretty big deal if you ask me. Whether we realize it or not, our vote matters - a lot. Not only are we voting for the president, but we also vote for state and local officials as well. The impact of your “one vote” is large.

“I don’t like any of the candidates.”

While this year may be one of the most interesting in candidate choices, we as a country still have to come down to one choice. Pick topics that are most important to you, find the candidate who lines up with your ideals, and go from there.

"I’m too busy to vote."

If you can’t take a few hours out of your day to vote on the next president, governor, or even superintendent, you shouldn’t have any time to comment on how he/she chooses to run it, either.

"I just don't really care that much about politics."

In four years, we’ll be out of college (hopefully) and starting our lives in the “real world.” Do you really want to leave the state of our economy up to fate? You should care about politics because you should care about your future. Vote for people who you think would make that future better.

"It doesn’t affect me."

The outcomes of voting are a lot closer to home than you think. You don’t agree with HB2? Vote for a different governor. You want more representatives of your party in Congress? Vote them in.

We all need to do our part and use the right we have been given. Vote because your voice matters!