Fair warning: not every state has early voting in place the way my state, Florida, does. The state-wide primary election for Florida is August 30, but as of the 15th, early voting was open. My parents had already voted by mail (thanks to my persistence) but I found myself Saturday afternoon thinking “I should go vote too.”

In all honesty, I wasn’t even going to bother. I’ve become so numb to, so disengaged from politics that I didn’t see the point in trying any longer. My inspiration and adopted grandfather Bernie “Sandman” Sanders, on the cusp of losing the Democratic nomination, reminded all his supporters that “the revolution continues.” He endorsed candidates for state elections across the country, urging us to make changes at all levels of government.

But after he lost, I felt defeated. I felt like my vote, my voice, my action didn’t matter. This weekend, however, for one reason or another I pulled myself out of my puddle of self-pity and went to the nearest library to vote in the local Florida Democratic primary.

I am choosing here to disclose some of my votes because I hope that in doing so I can encourage others to go out and make their own choices, whether they align with mine or not.

My biggest encouragement in voting this past weekend came in the form of an amendment to Florida law: Amendment 4. This amendment, if passed, would allow property owners install rooftop solar panels without having to pay an increased property tax. This is an important first step in encouraging the use of clean, renewable energy and combating climate change, something that the citizens of this below sea-level state know too well. The fact that the Sunshine State hasn’t already taken this step only makes it that much more important.

I also was able to support some important progressive warriors vying for seats at all different levels of Florida politics, the most well-known of which is Bernie-endorsed US Rep. Alan Grayson. He’s running to be the Democratic nominee for the US Senate seat currently held by Marco Rubio, up for grabs in November of this year. Grayson, like Bernie, understands the systemic social issues such as mass incarceration of Black people, institutional discrimination against the LGBTQ community, and ever-widening wealth inequality. He has already done wonders, fighting hard to expand the budget for education in Orange County as well as being the top small donor in the US House to reject Citizens United.

In a more local scene (Hillsborough County to be exact), I had the opportunity to vote for some incredible women aiming to make a difference for the county in which I grew up. Isabel “Cissy” Boza Sevelin, for example, is a champion advocate for victims of domestic violence and is now hoping to continue that advocacy and compassion as Circuit Court Judge.

Another inspirational woman, Miriam Velez Valkenburg, has provided free legal services to impoverished members of local communities as well as founding a non-profit organization that provides free legal service to domestic violence victims; she is running for Hillsborough County Judge.

The final woman I was proud to cast my primary vote for was Lynn Gray, an experienced teach who this year is running for the District 7 seat on the Hillsborough County School Board. In addition to her impressive teaching and counseling resume, Gray is President of a non-profit children fitness advocacy club called Tale…The First Step Club. Gray wants to make Hillsborough County students healthier in both mind and body, and looks at education in a comprehensive way that we so desperately need.

I want to close out this article just by reminding you that your vote matters. If for no other reason than the fact that it feels so damn good. I walked out of that voting booth feeling like I made a difference, however small that difference may be. Don’t think for a second that voting is the only way to do this, either. Volunteer, write, canvass, or even run for office yourself! But please, don’t lose hope. We are stronger than we think, and we are stronger together.