“Vote.” The word is posted on Instagram stories and printed on the backs of NBA warmup shirts, screamed at rallies and whispered around the dining table. But does the vote of one high schooler really matter in a country of over 328 million?

       Actually, it matters a great deal. 1 in 10 eligible voters are members of Generation Z, according to the Pew Research center. This means our generation will play a crucial role in deciding the presidential election… if we can make it to the polls.

       25% of our generation, according to a poll by Politico, doesn’t like either candidate enough to vote (compared to 13% of all registered voters). This is where we, as a generation, have a fundamental misunderstanding of the election before us.  As American citizens it is our responsibility to elect those who we believe will best serve our country.

       It is natural to not entirely support one party, but when faced with candidates who have polar opposite beliefs regarding the future of our country a lack of preference for either candidate can only be born from ignorance. It is our duty, as Americans and first-time voters, to educate ourselves on the topics at stake in this election. The America of tomorrow will be shaped by our decisions as voters in the next 11 days.

       In the 2016 election, less than three in four registered voters in Colorado submitted ballots, according to the Colorado Secretary of State. This statistic will only change if we hold one another accountable on November 3rd.

       The presidential election allows Americans to shape the future of our country. As a generation, we must push one another to be educated as we head to the polls.