As midterms approach, any social media-savvy person has probably seen the numerous local advertisements supporting or bashing different candidates whose job might be on the line. Whether it’s an ad on YouTube, a commercial on television during a football game or numerous signs in someone’s yard, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that midterms are approaching. Voting, however, should be every American’s top priority.

With the establishment of the United States in 1776, voting was the aspect that distinguished the United States from monarchies like Britain. While voting makes the United States a free country, it’s a duty United States citizens must uphold. One could even consider it a job — a job each citizen goes to once a year.

What’s the point? Why vote when each person is just one of the 235,248,000 people registered to vote?

When it comes to poll results, the differences can be slim. The 2016 presidential election general vote had a less than three million voter difference between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. However, only a projected 55 percent of voters went out to the polls for the election. Meaning that when Trump received 46.09 percent of the general vote, he only received 25.3 percent of votes from registered voters.

That difference is incredibly small in terms of votes. Every vote makes a big difference. The big picture is not about individually having a voting mindset, but having a larger mindset alongside and with the population. The mindset being that if more people vote, the election results will be more accurate and more pleasing.

With the election results from the last few years and the discourse that has followed, many people have been very upset. It’s not rash to say many people want change in the United States, regardless of political association. The trend, however, is to not vote.

In a way, it’s quite hypocritical. Not individually, but as a community and a nation. America prides itself in being the greatest nation on earth and, in many ways, it’s true. America has the third highest GDP, one of the strongest militaries in the world and contains most of the wealthiest people alive. But, if Americans fail to do their one duty of voting to create their ideal nation, it fails to meet its expectation of being the best.

So the goal is for Americans is to vote. Many people want change in areas like the Senate, the Supreme Court and the Executive Branch. Nov. 6 is approaching and the little criteria of being over the age of 18 and an American citizen allows many Americans can do their civic duty and vote.

Huling can be reached at [email protected].