We've all heard the question: Why vote? We've all probably asked ourselves that question at some point in our lives. Sometimes it just doesn't seem like it matters. Maybe we're feeling a bit cynical about the outcome, that our one vote doesn't matter. It's been a long day, a long week of long days, actually, and who wants to sit in that meeting and cast that vote when you know everyone's going to vote the opposite way you are. What's the point? you find yourself asking.

Or you're at that meeting and you have enthusiasm for what's happening. But the time for the vote arrives and you're not sure you know which way to vote. Persuasive arguments have been made on both sides. What if you vote the wrong way? You decide not to vote.

Before you skip out on the meeting, remember why you joined that group or organization. And remember that one vote does matter. It might be the one that breaks a tie that night. A majority vote is more than half of the votes cast, and yours might be the deciding factor. That motion, that election, might be a very important one for the group you care about.

Not voting might look like a solution. But it can be the same as voting against something. That majority or two-thirds vote in favor might not pass with your blank vote or your abstention. It's a good idea to vote.