Why Your Vote Matters

Mark Lester (he)

People across the state of Colorado are receiving their ballots in the mail. Voters will have the opportunity to submit their ballots in the primary election up until June 30. There are many reasons to feel disillusioned with our political system and with its persistent attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. These attacks, however, make something abundantly clear: your vote matters, and using your vote to elect supportive and strong allies of our community is one of the most powerful things you can do to protect LGBTQ+ people in Colorado and across the country.

Every election cycle, I hear from some of my friends that they don’t feel like their vote makes much of a difference. They see the thousands, if not millions of people voting in different elections down the ballot, and wonder what their one vote will do to change anything. They also doubt, given the many flaws in our political system that leave marginalized communities vulnerable to injustice, that participatory democracy can meaningfully improve our lives.

Let’s be clear: the idea that your vote doesn’t matter is flat-out wrong. In any given election, votes from yourself and your friends and family could be the difference maker in ensuring just, equitable representation in our public institutions.

Colorado voters do not have to look far to see how impactful their vote is. In 2024, Rep. Stephanie Vigil, the first out LGBTQ+ state representative from El Paso County, ran for reelection against a Republican candidate who opposed Rep. Vigil’s stances in support of LGBTQ+ students. Rep. Vigil lost reelection by three votes. Not three percent – three votes. If Vigil had been reelected, there would have been a Democratic supermajority in the Colorado House, as one more seat is all that was needed. 

The race for a legislative seat in House District 19 in 2024 was similarly narrow, with a Republican winning the seat by a mere 110 votes. If more people had believed that their vote would matter, these election outcomes could have been different.

In any given election, your own vote and those of your friends, family, and neighbors could be the difference between progress and setbacks in the fight for a more just, equal Colorado. But voting isn’t just important in the elections that are going to be close. By lending your voice to the democratic process, and ensuring that those around you do as well, you are making a statement that your voice deserves to be heard. This is incredibly important at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are being challenged at every level of government. 

Rocky Mountain Equality Action Fund is committed to supporting candidates and elected leaders who have been champions for LGBTQ+ equality. Check out our endorsements in statewide races and other key races here. 

It’s important that you make a plan. Know when and how you will cast your vote. Check out this resource from Rocky Mountain Equality that simplifies making a plan. Remember:  Your vote is your voice, and your voice matters. For yourself and for your friends, family, and community.