2018 has been a rollercoaster of a year.

We have dealt with hot button issues like gun control, community policing, criminal justice reform and equity, as well as access to healthcare. Now we have the 2018 midterm elections and this is your chance to make your voice matter. It only takes five minutes to fill in your ballot, but your vote will affect the quality of life for all Americans.

According to a poll released by Harvard Kennedy’s School of Government, “40 percent of 18-to-29-year olds indicate they are likely to vote on November 6.” This statistic represents record-breaking numbers as youth voter turnout has been traditionally low for midterm elections.

Still, you are more than just a number on a ballot box. Your vote matters, but your voice also matters.

A quote from the Declaration of Independence says, “whenever any form of government becomes destructive, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new government.”

Yes, the Declaration of Independence in 1776 applied to only white male landowners, but in 2018 it applies to you as well. You can institute new government through your vote and encourage others to do the same through your voice.

So, how do you mobilize others to vote and share their voice?

Here are three quick tips to ensure that your voice is amplified beyond the 2018 midterm elections:

1. Mobilize Online Dialogue in Your Community  

Community activism can go beyond the traditional boots on the ground. In an interconnected world, we are only one click away from what is happening in adjacent communities. Often times we shy from expressing ourselves due to fear of stigma and fear of persecution. #BlackLivesMatter has mobilized campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards Black people. Let’s continue that conversation at Emancipate Nation, an online safe space for individuals to vent anonymously.

2. Create Digital Spaces to Share Why #YourVoteMatters

Digital spaces are perfect for amplifying your voice. If you want to make a change, go beyond the polls. Your friends, family and networks are counting on you to bring social change. Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, Snapchat and YouTube are perfect for debating hot button issues and informing people of their voting rights through Rock the Vote. Let’s take offline voting into the online space.

3. Remember That #BlackLivesMatter is More Than Just a Hashtag

If you remain behind a computer screen, you are a part of the problem. Social media has amplified issues that have been ignored, but also has encouraged complacency. #BlackLivesMatter is more than just a hashtag, it is an incubator for social change — a platform to bring attention to issues that are facing the American landscape. Remember to bring these conversations offline, volunteer in your community, protest legislation and exercise your right as a citizen to vote.