The Right Track: Are you a conservative in a red state? Vote anyway.

I remember the first election in which I was old enough to vote.  
This is going to give my age away, but I graduated high school in the spring of 2000. I went off to college that fall, joined the College Republicans (of course) and was thrilled that I had turned 18 earlier that election year.  
That meant I got to cast my first vote in the election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. It seemed like the most important election of my lifetime to that point. (Sound familiar?) For better or worse, Bush has shaped a lot of my observations about politics, policy, war and campaigns.  
One thing is for sure, every political campaign believes the race they’re running is the most important. And every election is billed as the most important election of our lifetime. In some ways, none of them are that important, but in other ways, they might be.  
In the past 24 years, each president has made his mark. Yet, has the course of our country’s direction changed all that much because of one person? Some observers might say yes, but many Americans will simply shrug.  
In the United States, the winner of the Electoral College vote wins the presidency. We know that 20 states are likely to go for Kamala Harris and 23 states will probably go for Donald Trump. That adds up to 226 electoral votes for Harris and 219 for Trump. Seven battleground states – with 93 electoral votes – are up for grabs. 
Some people might wonder if their vote matters if they live in a deep red or dark blue state. But I think everyone should vote in every election they can because it is a privilege. It is a privilege many people around the world don’t have because they live in dictatorships. It is a privilege many women around the world don’t have because they live under authoritarian rule.  
I don’t know if this really is the most important election of our lifetime. It does seem like, whoever wins, the direction of this country could change dramatically. But I know I never want to take my privileges for granted.  
If you’re a conservative in a blue or battleground state, vote. It could be close. Your vote does matter. 
If you’re a conservative in a red state, vote.  
If only to run up the score.