Yes, Your Vote Matters

Photo Credit: Richard Vogel, Associated Press

A election volunteer offers voters an "I Voted" sticker after casting their ballot on Super Tuesday.

This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. PST on Thursday, November 8, 2024.

The idea that a Republican vote doesn’t matter in California, or another Democratic vote won’t count, is ridiculous. And yes, Libertarian and Green party votes matter. Even if you are writing in Chef Boyardee for president, your vote matters.

The presidential choices do not solely define an election—there are congressional, state, local and referendum items to vote on. And, they likely affect your life far more than the presidential election so vote, vote, vote.

Propositions this election cycle alone include raising the state minimum wage, allowing local governments to impose rent control, increasing penalties for theft and drug trafficking and amending the state constitution to remove language characterizing marriage as only between a man and woman.

Ground-breaking propositions are nothing new in an election cycle and are often forgotten. In the past, propositions have been used to give women the constitutional right to vote in California, ban affirmative action in the public sector and legalize marijuana.

Local elections are overlooked, horribly so. Municipal governments—also known as local governments—control housing, emergency services, streets, sewers, signage and public transportation, just to name a few. They affect where people sleep, how they get to work, the schools kids go to and how their hometowns develop.

Lisa Gillmor, Santa Clara’s current mayor, won by just 776 votes in the mayoral race, according to Santa Clara County's official election results. For size comparison, Santa Clara University has over 9,000 students—making the margin of the mayoral race less than a 10th of the student population.

The Councilmember overseeing the district that Santa Clara University is in, Suds Jain, won his seat with only 4,335 votes in 2020, a staggeringly low voter turnout. For reference, Santa Clara University alone has almost 2,000 staff and faculty members.

National elections have come down to the wire due to lack of voting interest. Merely 20 years ago, George W. Bush won the election in Florida by fewer than 600 votes. While national stories like Bush’s don’t happen every year, there are close local races decided by just a handful of voters every year.

So, the next time someone tells you that your vote doesn't matter, remind them there is more to the election than the popular vote for the presidency. They may not change the nation, but they certainly will change your daily life.