This blog post was written by Ester R. Fuchs, Professor of International and Public Affairs and Political Science at Columbia University and Director of WhosOnTheBallot.org  for our 2018 PowHer The Vote campaign.

WOMEN! I am speaking to you. There are two very important things we can do in the upcoming mid-term elections. We can turn out and vote. Yes, vote. And we can elect women candidates. I can hear your grumbling as you read this piece. “Voting, I’ve tried that before. Voting for a woman, I’ve tried that too.”

In 2016, we had the opportunity to elect a woman that most considered beyond qualified for the presidency by any measure – experience, knowledge, temperament. Hillary Clinton was more than ready to lead. Instead the country elected an inexperienced man, who is a compulsive liar, who confuses reality TV with reality, and who thinks tweeting insults is appropriate behavior for arguably the most important leader of the world.

If you are anything like my students you are asking, “what difference does it make if I vote — nothing really changes.”

Well, I understand the anger and frustration of the disaffected women out there, especially the young women. But there are some important facts that you may not know. Not only does it make a difference when women vote, it also makes a difference when we elect women to the legislature. Of course, not every woman has the same position on political issues and not every elected woman in the legislature behaves the same way. So, you have to do your homework before you vote and choose candidates that best represent your policy agenda. But just remember, you are part of a potentially powerful voting block and your choice can increase the probability the women’s vote will make a difference in the country’s policy. According to recent public opinion research, women and men actually have significantly different opinions about some very important issues. Women are more likely to favor a more activist role for government; are more supportive of programs to guarantee health care and basic social services; are more supportive of restrictions on firearms; more supportive of same-sex marriage; are more likely to support environmental protections; and are more likely to favor legal abortion without restrictions.

What about electing more women to Congress? According to recent research women legislatures are more likely to cooperate and behave in a bi-partisan way. Liberal female legislators in Congress co-sponsored an average of 5 more women’s health bills than their liberal male colleagues. And conservative women legislators sponsor an average of almost 3 more women’s health bills as compared to their conservative male colleagues. Women legislators are also more likely to cooperate across party lines, as compared to their male counter-parts, particularly if they’re working on a bill that focuses on health, education, or social welfare.

Whether you supported Clinton or Trump, women were definitely burned by the 2016 elections. But that is no excuse to give up on voting. Voting is literally the foundation of our democratic form of government. It is the one opportunity that we all have to ensure that our elected officials represent our policy preferences. Women make up 51 percent of the United States’ voting population, but currently only 20 percent of Congress members. At the same time, in the last mid-term election only 43 percent of women turned out to vote. Even more troubling, only 18 percent of young women (ages 18-24) turned out.

We have to do better. Just remember, whether you choose to vote or not, someone wins. And we all have to live with the consequences of every election. The 2018 midterm elections is our opportunity to actually make change.

Now is the time to get to the polls for the mid-term elections and VOTE. I know you have heard this message before. I have certainly been arguing for decades that if women vote in significant numbers that can make a difference in how our nation is governed. Women do have power in elections; so let’s use it.