The upcoming election may become one of the most memorable in U.S. history, with the potential to elect either the nation’s first woman president or its first convicted felon. Both outcomes could drastically reshape the future of American politics, and it’s crucial to understand just what’s at stake.

American politics have been a difficult topic for many public spaces, with extremely passionate voters on both sides of the spectrum. For many people, myself included, this election is seen as a warning that our rights may be threatened or taken away. This is why it is important to reflect on what brings us to the polls and just how vital it is to make educated decisions for the sake of America’s future.

I’ve come across some people who are upset at the way the election has turned out, feeling like they are forced to choose between the “lesser of two evils.” I’ve even encountered people who decided they won’t vote, their reasons tending to come from a similar place of hopelessness.

There’s a common theme of people finding no reason to vote because there’s a feeling that nothing will change, and I can empathize with this frustration. For a long time, our country has been in a place where politics haven’t necessarily benefited the majority.

We’ve lost sight of what people have always fought for: the possibility for change.

There’s no way to convince everyone of why voting is important, but I think it’s vital to see just how privileged we are to even have the chance to say “No, I won’t participate.”

For minority groups, voting has never been a guaranteed right. For white women, voting was only made legal in 1920. The fight for women of color to vote wouldn’t be officially won until 1965 with the Voting Rights Act.

That year, Martin Luther King Jr. led a march from Selma, Alabama to the state’s capital of Montgomery. This march was a public display of resistance, as many Black Americans in the South were being denied their legal right to vote. They were being systemically hindered from voting at their polling places, something that still occurs in certain areas today under the name of voter suppression. After the Voting Rights Act was passed and enforced, Latines, Black people, and women of color were finally legally allowed to vote.

However, since then, some have seemingly forgotten why people fought so hard to vote in the first place. But our Civil Rights leaders understood the importance that voting had for the future of American citizens.

In 1972, Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to run for president. People labeled her insane, and she even faced physical threats simply for being a Black woman who dared to run for office. However, she held her ground and maintained her faith in the possibility for change.

She actively fought for young voters to realize how much their voting matters. In reference to disgruntled youth, she said, “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”

There is no power in waiting to see what happens at the hands of others while wanting things to change. The only real progress that can happen is when we are proactive with enacting the changes we want to see.

Voting is a right that we’ve taken for granted, and as college students, this election will impact the future trajectory of our lives. We have the opportunity to vote for things that align with our values, and we should never underestimate how much one voice matters.

Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Shirley Chisholm, Malcolm X and so many more were all just one voice — one voice that was able to change America’s future. Your voice, and your one vote, matters more than you know.

So yes, it’s easy to feel like casting a ballot won’t make a difference, and in this world that’s constantly changing and evolving, it’s hard to see your role in the bigger moving picture. But just because you don’t see the part you play doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

As this election comes up, please acknowledge the power you’ve been blessed with. Especially as people of color, voting is something that our grandparents or even great-grandparents wished they could do. I personally take the responsibility of fulfilling my family’s dreams through contributing to my civic duty as a voter in the hope of facilitating progress.

As Election Day approaches, make sure that you’re registered to vote and understand where your nearest polling station is. This election will inevitably change the course of history, but the biggest thing to remember is that we are all Americans, and we all have a stake in its outcome.

Even though we have different values and priorities, we all want a better world for future generations. We want to contribute to a country that, in our old age, we can look at with pride.

Being a part of a democracy is a privilege, and it is a greater one than we realize. Therefore, make sure you play your part in creating a better world for tomorrow. I hope that, regardless of the results, we all realize that we’re so much more alike than we are different.

This article appeared in print on Page 11 of Vol. LVIII Issue V, published Oct. 21, 2024.