We all know your vote counts on Election Day. What we tend to forget is that it continues to count the other 364 days of the year. The vote you cast on that single day has a ripple effect that determines the way problems are handled for the next year...or two...or four...or six. As a result, your vote matters every single day.

The vote you cast (or worse, didn't) last Election Day helped shape the government that is reacting to the problems of today. Some of those issues didn't exist when you were voting, others did and still go on even now. It is a guarantee that new problems are coming up. If you think your government should be able to do a better job of handling them, then your responsibility is to use your vote wisely.

If you don't think your vote matters, look around. Your vote touches almost every aspect of your life, whether you intended it or not. Lights, gas, public services, news, sports, hobbies, wars and peace -- they all connect to your vote in many ways. Keep that in mind the next time you get a chance to vote.