Voting is probably the most American thing you can do.  As a person who cares about the politics of this country, I have always felt that if I didn’t vote then I didn’t have a right to voice my political opinions.  After all, when are you being more effective at expressing those opinions than when you drop that ballot into the box?

As a person who was raised in a swing state, I’ve always felt that it was my duty to vote.  In 2000 I mailed my ballot back to Florida with pride.  Until the electoral college disappears, voting in swing states is one of the only ways to make a difference in elections.  Being raised in a swing state has made an indelible mark on me.  Even after 8 years in a red state and 3 in a blue, I still feel like my vote matters.

Mid-term elections are different though.  The electoral college doesn’t come into play.  This is a time when small districts get to have their voices heard.  It may not be as sexy as term elections, but it’s just as important, and you have a chance to make a difference just by caring.

That’s what voting really comes down to: do you care?  Do you care about the economy, health care, child care, the environment, immigration, reproductive rights, trade laws, the Farm Bill?  If you do, then you should care about who is representing you in the House.  And you should vote.  Because the people who care enough to make it to the polls are the people who win.

I’m not trying to get you to vote any particular way, what matters to me is just that you do vote.  Period.  So, if you haven’t already voted early or mailed in an absentee ballot, then I urge you to go vote.