It is evident that November 9th is quickly approaching; anxiety is high, there are more political posts on Facebook than Tasty videos, and even Brangelina's divorce is being overshadowed by Trump and Clinton's campaigns. It's been a hell of an election cycle. As election day draws closer, people are questioning how much their vote "actually matters." Well, I'm here to explain exactly why every single ballot, especially in Florida, could actually hold a deciding vote in this presidential election.

For many candidates, there is nothing more nerve wrecking than waiting to find out who Floridians voted for on election day. As many people know, Florida is a swing state — a state that doesn't always vote one way or another. Many states in the U.S. vote for the same party in every election. For example, Texas has been voting Republican since 1976 and California has been voting Democrat since the 1980's. In these stubborn states, voters who vote against the state's usual party candidate don't really seem to make a difference. Contrarily, Florida switches between Red and Blue and is an unpredictable state in nearly every election. With 29 electoral college votes, winning Florida is one of the biggest advantages that a candidate can get on election day. But, winning Florida has never been easy. In 2000, George W. Bush and Al Gore were nearly tied on election day; the results came down to Florida. Voting in Florida was so close that George W. Bush only won after a mandatory recount was instated by the Supreme Court of the United States. In fact, Bush had LOST the popular vote, but won the electoral vote (thanks to Florida). Basically, Florida was the deciding factor in the 2000 election and it came down Florida votes to name the president. If that isn't proof that your vote matters in this election, I don't know what is.

Also, you aren't just voting for the president on the ballot, there are many other things you get to have a say in. A president can't do much if nothing he or she does in office isn't approved by the House of Representatives or the Senate. Having your party in power in Congress is a huge advantage. Congress is the only branch of government that can formally make laws. Everybody wants to have representatives who represent their ideals, but in order for that to happen, you have to do some research and VOTE! Having a high percentage voter turnout is what makes democracy even more representative of the people. If you think both candidates will destroy the country and you would rather move to Canada than support them, vote for Congress members who feel the same way! Stop whining about how terrible the presidential candidates are; research your state congressional representatives so you can feel confident in voting someone into office, someone who will work to solve the problems you are passionate about fixing.

Lastly, voting is a right that millions of people in American history have fought for; it is also a right that many countries don't give to their people. Vote for the people who represent your views the most, even voting for a third party candidate can make a difference. Sure, a third party candidate may not win THIS election, but with every vote third parties are getting more support. If people continue voting for third party candidates, it will become more of a "social norm" and who knows, maybe in the next couple of elections these candidates will have an actual chance. Anyways, back to THIS election cycle. Most importantly, if you vote for the candidate that wins, you get MAJOR bragging rights. Just imagine how much you can brag about voting for the president of the next four years. So, register to vote (click on the words to register) and get your butt to the polls on November 9th. Good luck to all and happy voting!