Whenever I tell my friends about going out to vote in the midterm elections in November, they just look at me and go: "It's not like my vote counts." No. Your vote does count. Here's why:

First of all, Americans, in general, need to care more about politics. America's voter turnout is at 55.7% and that's nothing compared to Belgium, Denmark, and other European countries whose voter turnout is in the 70%-90% range. People in history have fought for the right to vote in this country. That's because they knew they had a say. They had a voice. As years passed, voter efficacy has drastically decreased in this country. Why? Because we started to take our right to vote for granted.

Most people tell me since so many people are voting, their vote basically has no meaning. That's wrong. Every single vote counts. Even one single vote can drastically change who wins an election. And the reason our voter turnout is so low compared to other countries is that too many people in this country don't want to go out and vote. Those same people who don't want to vote are the same people who complain about Trump. Newsflash: people VOTED for Trump. So yeah, votes have a huge effect.

I understand that people have their own lives and they're so caught up with their own responsibilities, they don't actually have time to watch the news or have the desire to vote. But politics does have a huge effect on your life. Who your Assembly member is, who your Representative is, who your Senator is, who your President is... it affects you. It will affect you if you receive health insurance. It will affect you if you receive FAFSA. It will affect your tax cuts from your paycheck you work so hard for. The list does not end. These people are meant to represent YOU and your values. So get out there in November and vote.

Our country has come to a stage where we are only going backward. If all those political activists you learned about in U.S. History were alive right now, they would surely be weeping. We're at a stage where a sexual assaulter gets appointed to the highest court of the land. We're at a stage where our President is praised for being racist, sexist, and homophobic. To me, just these two aspects are a complete nightmare, but there's only more to add on to the list of how this country's values are being torn apart.

Americans have a habit of being in this closed box where we are blind to how much we really have. This makes us take essential things for granted. And that's how it is in most first world countries. But that's no excuse to lounge in your home on Election Day.

If you are a citizen, you have the right to vote and it is your duty to exercise that right. If you live in this country, if you contribute to its economy, if you use your freedom of religion and freedom of speech on a DAILY BASIS, there is no reason you shouldn't use your right to vote!