I don’t know about you, but as a young 20-something student in this political moment, I often feel overwhelmed and powerless.

We now know that the policies of the current administration are having a devastating effect on our environment. The climate change crisis is only getting worse. Every day, the U.S. is seen in an increasingly negative light on the global stage.

Outraged and ready to do something about it?

Millenials like me must vote, and they must vote for Democratic candidates in the upcoming midterm election Nov. 6.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and reported by the Pew Research Center, if you were born between 1981 and 1994 you are a millennial. By 2019, millennials are projected to reach a population of 73 million and surpass the baby-boom generation.

All millennials are now old enough to vote—and we’ll soon have a million vote advantage.

If progressive millennials turn out and vote in this upcoming midterm election it has the potential to cancel out any regressive votes from the baby boomers. It could reshape the political playing field at both the state and federal level.

Voting for Democratic candidates in the fast-approaching midterms is the only way to hold this current administration accountable and enact significant reforms.

I fully support the right to vote for whomever you think would best represent you in government. However, I do believe that voting for a third-party candidate is voting against your best interest.

We want to believe that anyone from any party can win in our democratic system, but that is just not the case. Like it or not, we operate in a two-party system. Your vote only counts once for one candidate. Most likely, a third-party candidate has no mathematical chance of winning a general election.

Regardless of which party you identify with, it is imperative that you vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate who most closely represents your views on the issues. If you vote third party and your candidate does not even come close to winning, the candidate who would have most closely represented you—who had a fighting chance of winning—loses your vote.

Millennials need to turn out on election day. If we all show up, we have the potential to make history and take steps to rectify the travesty that has befallen our democracy.

You have no excuses.

Times are hard for all of us. It is easy to feel like you are only one person and your voice doesn’t matter, but it does. Your vote has tremendous power.

My fellow millennials, it’s time to show up, make our voices heard, and move our country forward.