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“My vote doesn’t really matter.”

“Why bother, Obama is going to win Illinois either way.”

“Both candidates suck, I’m not voting.”

These are just a few examples of what various DePaul University students have said on why they are not voting Nov. 6. Students feel like their vote doesn’t matter, that their voice is insignificant to the masses. Students around Chicago especially feel like they can just sit this one out, because Obama will win the long-running democratic state of Illinois anyway.

What about students from states that do matter?

“One vote doesn’t really matter, we don’t really have elections anymore we have sales,” said DePaul junior and Ohio resident Max Harkavay. “People lobby for their interests rather than vote for what is best for the country and everything is so corrupt, why would I give them a second of my time? My vote doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t agree that everyone should vote,” said DePaul senior and Indiana resident Andrew Mentock. “I feel like a lot of people will focus on one issue or watch a few debates and make the decision on that, without spending the hours to make an informed decision. I understand why it’s inappropriate for people to have the opinion that your vote doesn’t matter, because if enough people feel that way it will affect the outcome of an election, but in terms of my individual vote, no; I don’t think it matters.”

Students, voters, citizens of this country feel that this presidential race is full of corruption, deceit, lobbying, and a lack of accountability. Even more, people want to distance themselves from this year’s election due to it being one of the dirtier and more negative campaigns in recent history. But if you are “sitting this one out” and planning to not vote, you are making a big mistake.

No, Obama or Romney will not win the majority of the Electoral College because of one individual’s vote. But what are you really achieving by not participating in the democratic process?

The idea of voting is based in the democratic system in which we live. Our forefathers fought and died to create the democratic society in which the people elect their government. Whether you like it or not: your parents, your grandparents, everyone who has made the life you had possible have worked hard to give you the democratic lifestyle that we all take for granted. To not vote is to disrespect everything your family and ancestors have accomplished to give you this right. Voting elected officials into office is a rare and wonderful feat historically speaking; don’t let it go to waste.

What if your refusal to vote is based on the candidates? Maybe you dislike both candidates, don’t agree with their views, or simply believe either way you are voting for a corporatist. If you are frustrated with your government, and don’t buy into either party, that’s fine. But inaction does not breed change. Sitting back and watching a process you disdain might feel rewarding, but it leaves you powerless and without credibility.

Not voting separates you personally from success. To not vote is to admit defeat. If you feel unhappy with the election, then the best thing you can do is to get up and vote. To not vote is to say that your voice doesn’t matter, and what kind of message are you conveying to yourself if you think this? We all will feel disappointment or apathy at some point in our lives. But as human beings and citizens of this country we must rise above these petty feelings and demonstrate the resolve and will that we as individuals do matter. My voice, my vote, and myself: we all matter. To sit in silence is to lower yourself not only as a citizen, but also as a person.

Your vote really does matter more than you know.  Women, people of color, people with disabilities, have fought hard for the right to vote. In a country that has gone through times of troubling war and prejudice, it is our right and it is our duty to partake in the process of voting. We owe it to them and we owe it to ourselves. To not care enough to vote is to say you don’t care what kind of country you live in. Go out and vote Nov. 6, even if it’s for a third party. Your voice, the voice of the people, still matters, and will remain the foundation upon which this country was built.