🗳️ Your Vote Matters—Here’s Why Skipping It Can Harm Both You and Your Community

It’s easy to feel like “one vote doesn’t matter.” But research and real-world outcomes tell a different story. Civic engagement—voting, writing to your representatives, and staying informed—does more than shape policy. It shapes mental health, community well-being, and your sense of personal empowerment.

1. The Myth: “My One Vote Won’t Change Anything”

The odds of casting a pivotal vote in national elections may be slim, but local and state races are frequently decided by single digits. In Virginia, a House delegation tie was resolved by pulling a name from a bowl—effectively a single ballot changed the balance of powerglobalcitizen.org.Local elections often draw very low turnout. In one Wisconsin county in 2024, just two votes decided a supervisor seat, and several races were within single-digit marginsamericanprogress.org.

Moreover, widely cited research shows that while one vote may not sway a large election, collective civic engagement matters immensely—and the belief that your vote counts helps prevent democratic collapsetime.com.

2. The Reality: Voting Builds Community and Personal Empowerment

• Communities with lower voter turnout tend to receive fewer public investments, fewer resources, and have higher incarceration ratesvoting.socialwork.uconn.edu.

• Voting is now recognized by the AMA as a social determinant of health—participating in democracy is directly linked with better health outcomes, higher education, and greater economic opportunity, especially among young peoplemindbridgecenter.org+5voting.socialwork.uconn.edu+5publichealth.berkeley.edu+5.

• When underrepresented groups—like younger people, renters, or racial minorities—vote, policy priorities shift to include their needs, pushing for housing, healthcare, education, and social equity.

3. The Mental Health Benefits of Voting

Choosing to participate in elections can:

• Alleviate feelings of helplessness and apathy

• Increase civic pride and agency

• Provide a sense of belonging and identity alignment

• Reinforce personal values and purpose through action

4. What Happens When You Don’t Vote

According to Pew Research, 42% of nonvoters wish they had voted afterwardpublichealth.berkeley.edu+4self.com+4time.com+4pewresearch.org+1demos.org+1.

• A significant reason cited (35%) is the belief that their vote wouldn’t make a differencepewresearch.org.

• This self-exemption reinforces systemic inequities—when certain communities believe they don’t matter, they essentially grant power to others✖

5. So—What Can You Do?

Action	Impact
Vote	Shape policy; feel heard
Register	Start at vote.org
Contact Reps	Influence local/state/federal decisions
Limit News Time	Stay informed without overwhelm
Encourage Others	Discussions about voting boost turnoutpewresearch.org+10time.com+10voting.socialwork.uconn.edu+10mindbridgecenter.org+12en.wikipedia.org+12voting.socialwork.uconn.edu+12publichealth.berkeley.edu+7voting.socialwork.uconn.edu+7americanprogress.org+7nlihc.org

✊ National Representation

Here are the federal legislators for the six states where I provide individual teen and adult teletherapy:

Arizona

Senator Mark Kelly Washington, DC: (202) 224-2235 | Phoenix office: (602) 671-7901 congress.gov+2congress.gov+2congress.gov+2kelly.senate.gov+1pluralpolicy.com+1

Senator Ruben Gallego (House) Russell Senate Office Bldg, DC; call DC for Senate contact congress.gov+7callyoursenate.com+7voteidaho.gov+7(Representative depends on district—find yours via Congress.gov.)

Idaho

Senator Mike Crapo 239 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510 | DC: (202) 224-6142 | Boise office: (208) 334-1776 congress.gov+3crapo.senate.gov+3voteidaho.gov+3

Senator James E. Risch 483 Russell Senate Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510 | DC: (202) 224-2752 voteidaho.gov+1congress.gov+1

U.S. Representatives – Russ Fulcher (District 1): DC: (202) 225‑6611 wyden.senate.gov+15voteidaho.gov+15sos.oregon.gov+15– Mike Simpson (District 2): DC: (202) 225‑5531 voteidaho.gov

Louisiana

Senator Bill Cassidy 455 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg, Washington, DC: (202) 224-5824 | Baton Rouge: (225) 929-7711 callyoursenate.com+6cassidy.senate.gov+6congress.gov+6

Senator John N. Kennedy 437 Russell Senate Office Bldg, Washington, DC: (202) 224-4623 callyoursenate.com+4congress.gov+4voteidaho.gov+4(Check Congress.gov for House reps by ZIP code.)

South Dakota

Senator John Thune DC office: (202) 224-2321; Sioux Falls: (605) 334-9596; Rapid City: (605) 348-7551 pluralpolicy.com+5thune.senate.gov+5leadsouthdakota.org+5

Senator Mike Rounds DC: (202) 224-5842 senate.gov+15sdsos.gov+15merkley.senate.gov+15

U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson 1508 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515 | DC: (202) 225-2801; Sioux Falls: (605) 275-2868 leadsouthdakota.org+1sdsos.gov+1

Vermont

Senator Bernie Sanders 332 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg, DC: (202) 224-5141 | Burlington: (802) 862-0697 voteidaho.gov+2sanders.senate.gov+2plcloggers.org+2

Senator Peter Welch 124 Russell Senate Office Bldg, DC: (202) 224-4242 plcloggers.org(At-large House Representative—same contact as Senator Welch.)

Oregon

Senator Ron Wyden DC: (202) 224-5244 | Salem local: (503) 589-4555 pluralpolicy.com

Senator Jeff Merkley DC office: (202) 224-3753 | Campaign office: (503) 200-5518 merkley.senate.gov+1jeffmerkley.com+1(Find your House rep at Congress.gov.)

Final Thoughts: Your Vote, Your Well-being, Your Voice

Voting, self-expression, and social awareness aren’t just civic responsibilities—they’re acts of healing, resilience, and self-empowerment.

If you're navigating political anxiety or seeking purpose-driven engagement, teletherapy can support your emotional well-being through this journey.

📱 Call 602‑615‑0166 for online therapy in AZ, ID, LA, SD, VT, and OR

When you show up to vote, you're showing up for yourself—and for a healthier, more connected society. Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Your well-being matters.