In a month, I'll go vote. Even though I live in a state that is decidedly red (it was announced last week that neither time nor effort will be spent on exit polling here in Tennessee), I still vote. The cynics (and realists) among us tell me it's not worth my time to go vote. With electoral college math, my vote won't swing the election in either way.
They say my vote doesn't count. But I say it still matters:
Because when I vote, I take my daughter with me.
As parents and as leaders, most of what others learn from us is what we model. It's what people can see. Our daughters, our sons, our direct reports, our front line employees - they do what we do. And they all see what we do.
Since she was just seven months old, I've taken my daughter with me every time I've voted. I carry her in, balance her in one arm as I sign the papers, and then together we go to the booth. I push buttons, submit my vote, and then we get a sticker and leave.
I don't know what all she gets about politics or elections as a two-year-old, but I hope that she realizes if you're lucky enough to live in a country that calls for free elections, you damn sure better take advantage of that privilege.
In a month, I'll go vote, and that vote will matter, even if it doesn't count. It matters because my daughter will be watching.