You’re in a conversation and someone says, “My vote doesn’t make a difference, so I’m not voting.”

What would you say?

137 million people voted in the 2016 election. That’s a lot of people. One vote, out of 137 million, doesn’t seem likely to make a difference, does it?

But is that a good reason not to vote?

No. And here are three reasons why:

First, in local elections, a single vote matters a lot.

Second, when lots of people decide their vote doesn’t matter, it makes a big difference. Elections are decided by who shows up.

Third, voting is an act of stewardship.