The presidential election this year may be considered one of the most historic in United States history, which is why every vote matters. In close elections, as this one appears to be, one vote can make the difference between a candidate winning or losing. That vote could be yours.

As citizens of America it is always important to remember that the purpose of elections is to give the people a choice. A choice of change or to stick with the status quo. If people in America stopped voting the world would cease to continue growing and there would never be any change within the country; change that so many people long for.

Voting in elections also lets you express your support on issues. Issues such as abortion, immigration and gun laws to name a few. By showing support for your preferred candidate based on the issues you are passionate about, you will get to stand up for what you believe in. Whether the issues you are voting on happen to be local or national it is the means by which support can be shown.

Also, voting gives you a right to complain and a right to express yourself. If you have never voted in an election, you do not get to complain when the changes you would like to see are not made. However, if you do vote in elections against something, it then gives you the right to complain about the problem. If you do not try to fix the problem, you cannot complain about the solution. If you want things to change you have to take action. You can take action by voting. Being a fence-sitter and hoping for the best does not help.

Not only does voting help your cause, it also honors what the Founding Fathers hoped and wanted for us. By voting, you are keeping democracy alive. This is exactly what the Founding Fathers wanted, a choice for the American people. If United States citizens no longer chose to vote in elections, democracy might as well be abolished and be replaced with authoritarianism, meaning no choice for American citizens.

Voting is an important part of American lives and should be taken advantage of. We are given the right to vote and by voting we can change the world. So do not stand by and hope for change within the country, rather create change by using the vote that you have been given.