1. You're not just voting for Trump or Hillary. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 out of the 100 Senate seats are up for grabs this November. Republicans currently control both chambers. 2. Voter turnout needs to be high. Many Americans who support policies that aren't getting passed, aren't voting. People do not vote on economic concerns alone, while big business interests lobby against them. 3. Margin of victory. Perhaps you live in a swing state, or one where a Senate seat is a toss-up, voting is still important even if the candidate you support is losing. A closer margin of victory limits how much of a “mandate” they can claim once in office. 4. A vote for a third party can go a long way towards stifling a candidates grip on a state. An example: Many liberals believe Ralph Nader’s third-party bid in 2000 cost Democratic nominee Al Gore a win in Florida. 5. Voting a right we fought to have. It wasn't that long ago that women were granted the ability to vote in 1919. African Americans, Latinos and Asians have all faced obstacles as well.