I constantly hear people say, “I’m not going to vote because my vote doesn’t count.”

This couldn’t be more untrue. 

It is your right as an American citizen to cast your vote.

With the deadline for voter registration coming up on Oct. 7, students should make it a priority to perform their civic duty. 

Related: Abortion and marijuana amendments are pressing concerns for USF students

In Florida, you can vote early in the election from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1 and on election day, which falls on Nov. 5.

As young adults, students have the opportunity to exercise democracy, impact policy and choose the best candidates for office. 

This is my first year voting in the presidential election, and I can’t wait to vote.

This election year is a critical time to vote because it determines who our leader will be for the next four years, in addition to there being major policies on the ballot for Floridians. 

“Voting allows each of us a say in that process by expressing the will of the people, even when our preferred candidate does not win,” said political science professor Rob Mellen.

In Florida during the 2020 presidential election, the youth voter turnout, aged 18-29 was at 54%, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

Related: Attention USF students, don’t let social media decide who you vote for

Although COVID-19 severely impacted all voter turnout, there was an 11-point increase overall on youth voter turnout from the 2016 election. 

This information is based on voter data, where CIRCLE estimates the voter turnout, and the turnout is based on the percentage of eligible voters.

This election year in Florida, we need to keep the momentum going. 

The amendments include legalizing marijuana, access to abortion healthcare, the right to hunt and fish and making school board elections partisan.

These are important because they impact our society. 

For instance, access to abortion affects women’s healthcare, fishing and hunting regulations affect wildlife and the environment, legalizing marijuana affects the health of users and making the school boards partisan can impact things like book bans.

You can check out a full list of the amendments here.

Related: USF students, light up the ballot this fall to legalize marijuana

Voting gives people the opportunity to make their voices heard through voting on key issues that can make a difference in the world by impacting policy.  

Young adult voters may not want to vote because systems like the electoral college are in place, it can feel like their vote doesn’t really matter.

“I sometimes feel skeptical because I do have close friends with different opinions from me, but we always find a middle ground,” said Amelia Montgomery, a junior international business major. “However, I know my vote counts because when I read the polls, I can see that they’re slowly changing.” 

However, the electoral college should not sway people from voting. 

“The electoral college is based on the people’s votes in each state,” said Mellen. “It serves primarily to confirm the will of the people on a state-by-state basis, which makes it imperative for the candidates to garner support across a variety of states.”

Some people feel that their vote will not count because the winner can ultimately be determined by how the representatives vote.

However, the popular vote, or the people’s vote, is still part of the equation. 

The popular vote is the total percentage of votes for a candidate and the candidate with the most votes wins the popular vote. 

Another reason people tend not to vote is because they see undesirable candidates, misinformation and conflicting opinions about politics.

For instance, because of misinformation circling the media, voters tend to have distrust in the system or candidates, changing their ideologies and swaying how they vote.

One example of misinformation was during the 2020 election in Florida, where Latinx voters were targeted by ads that falsely linked President Joe Biden to the oppressive Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to the Human Rights Watch.

Many immigrants who depend on translated content are subjected to mistranslations on social media.

Misinformation not only can sway peoples’ ideologies but also opinions on candidates. 

Voting allows us to pick leaders who better represent us and our values. 

You can register to vote in simple steps. To register online, go to vote.gov. You can also register by mail or in person at your local election office.

Remember, your vote matters.