You need to vote in this election not only because it is your civic duty, or because this is one of the most important elections in American history, or because MTV tells you to. You need to vote on November 2 because if you don’t, you put the political power of your entire generation at risk.

The idea that voting is the most powerful tool in the average citizen’s political arsenal is clichéd, but true. That fact that no national election has ever been decided by one vote is no justification to stand idle this November. There are greater forces at work here. Think of it like this: When an official is elected they generally act in the best interests of their being reelected. Those interests are generally those of their voting constituents. If a group of people vote, regularly, their views are more likely to be represented in the government. If our demographic continues to vote in its current numbers, our interests will soon be forgotten by those in power. And the best way to ensure our votes’ lasting influence is to get in the habit of voting now.

For these reasons, and more, the Maroon urges its readers who aren’t yet registered to vote to do so immediately. Now is your last chance to do so in Illinois as registration ends on October 5. To facilitate your registration we’ve included 5000 motor registration forms in copies of today’s paper.

Your vote counts, but only if you make it.