With the presidential election this year and the Washington State Republican primary right around the corner, there are two chances to use your constitutional right guaranteed by the 15th Amendment and vote.

Unfortunately, a lot of people, especially millennials, take their right to vote for granted. Voting does matter and it shouldn’t be taken for granted especially since there are many countries out there that don’t allow its citizens to vote. We are so lucky to have this right.

It makes me so mad when someone from my generation says they aren’t going to vote either because they don’t care, don’t like any of the candidates or don’t think their vote matters when, in reality, it does.

Just the other day I was talking to one of my friends, and they said they weren’t going to vote because they didn’t like any of the presidential candidates. The only way they would vote is if Donald Trump ended up being one of the candidates for president.  Then they would vote against him.

Never say your vote doesn’t count because every ballot  makes a difference. Last month on March 1, Bernie Sanders won by one vote in Methuen, Mass. That single person who made the decision to vote and not forego it, made all the difference in Sanders winning that city.

While it may be harder to vote when you first turn 18 and are still in high school, it’s so easy to do here on the Central campus. Usually early in November, ASCWU partners with the Kittitas County Auditor’s office to put on the Election Assistance Center.

It’s so easy to vote there because you can print off your ballot or vote online right there.

So, if voting is so easy, shouldn’t picking who to vote for be as well? Is it so hard to pick a candidate for president?

Yes, you may not agree with everything one candidate is saying but that’s human nature to disagree. You may not agree with things your friends like, dislike or say, but that doesn’t mean you stop being their friend.

You should respect their opinion. You can politely disagree with them. It’s not that hard to read about each presidential candidate’s views on certain issues, you may actually find that you share similar opinions on a subject. The excuse that “I don’t like any of them” is not valid.

In the long run, not voting sets a bad example for the next generation and causes people in other countries who can’t vote to look down on our country. A single vote can make the world of difference between winning and losing. Your vote does count, so quit thinking that it doesn’t matter and go out there and vote.