This summer, thousands of American students were buzzing with excitement about the midterm elections and the legendary power that young voters wield over this November’s outcome. Around the same time, the Wake County Board of Elections was debating the fate of the Talley Student Union early voting site. As we all are now aware, Talley was green-lighted as an early voting location; however, the excitement for voting in the NC State student body is heart-wrenchingly disappointing. For whatever reason, many NC State students are reluctant to vote. Here are some reasons you shouldn’t be.

1. Voting matters!!! According to 270 To Win, if “not voting” was a candidate in the 2016 presidential election, it would have won around 90 million individual and 470 Electoral College votes. The outcome may or may not have been different, but since those 90 million voters stayed home, we’ll never know. So, if you’ve heard the pessimistic rumor that voting doesn’t matter, you should question it ruthlessly. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy; of course your vote doesn’t matter if it’s never cast!!
2. At the state level, constitutional amendments with wild consequences are on the ballot. Do you want criminal proceedings to cost more and take longer? Do you want to restrict our state’s ability to fund public programs through taxes? Yes or no, you can make your opinion heard.
3. Even closer to home, bond measures are up for a vote. You have the opportunity to expand public greenways and increase funding for Wake County public schools and community colleges, just by marking in a bubble! Think of how many lives that bubble can improve!

So, sure, voting is important, but maybe you’re worried about the time and effort it entails. After all, there’s standing in lines, filling out forms and extracurricular research on candidates to be done, and that’s not a negligible commitment for a student! But chill. It’s not actually that hard.

First of all, voting is quick! It took me less than 15 minutes to vote in Talley, and that included changing my voter registration.

Secondly, researching candidates is not as hard as you think. For a generation that can dig up their crush’s cousin’s dog’s favorite brand of lip balm with just two seconds and a smartphone, we should be more than capable of getting a sense of someone’s political beliefs and leadership plans before we vote.

And if you still doubt yourself, or if you prefer to defer to the judgment of experts, check for endorsements from trustworthy organizations that hold your positions on issues that are important to you.

For example, the Sierra Club publishes a list of endorsed candidates in North Carolina that have strong pro-environment platforms. If women’s healthcare is your thing, check the endorsements from Planned Parenthood. Like animals? Look at the Humane Society’s endorsements. The possibilities are endless!! And if you’re still really unsure about choosing between two candidates, just skip over that race on the ballot. It’s voting, not an exam.

Third, you already have the paperwork you need to vote. If you registered before the Oct. 12 deadline, then you’ll be good to go; if not, just bring proof of residence and they’ll register you at the early voting site in Talley. The North Carolina State Board of Elections allows “current college/university photo identification card paired with proof of campus habitation” as a valid proof of residence for students wishing to register at their campus address.

If you’re unsure about your “proof of campus habitation,” check with your RA, but for me, showing the poll official my Raleigh address in my MyPack Portal account was sufficient. (Warning for the procrastinators: you can only register at early voting, NOT regular voting on Nov. 6!)

So, people toiled to set up this early voting site, and the turnout so far is disappointing. Step it up, Wolfpack. Make a plan to vote before the early voting deadline on Nov. 3.

Meredith Bain is a fourth-year studying mathematics and president of the Climate Reality Project at NC State.