These Quotes Are Total #VotingInspo

If the opportunity to help change the course of history doesn't motivate you enough to get out and vote in the general election on Nov. 8, hopefully these 12 inspiring election day quotes will. Each one of these quotes sheds light on the importance of voting in America, and in the most inspirational way imaginable. They are literally #VotingInspo.

While there's no legal penalty that those who don't vote risk suffering, there are dozens of social, political, and emotional penalties. If you didn't voice your opinion when national decisions were being made, then you can hardly complain when you're unhappy with the way this country is being run. When somebody steps into the voting booth, he or she is actively influencing the government, and subsequently, the repercussions of its programs, laws, and regulations.

If you don't know who you're voting for yet, it's time to do your homework. Learn what the candidates stand for and make a decision about who you think would better lead this country. There's no reason to waste a perfectly good vote, especially during this election — so don't let yours fall to the wayside Nov. 8.

1. "Voting is a civic sacrament." — Theodore Hesburgh

2. "I believe that voting is the first act of building a community, as well as building a country." — John Ensign

3. "I am sure that every one of my colleagues — Democrat, Republican, and Independent — agrees with that statement. That in the voting booth, every one is equal." — Barbara Boxer

4. "By voting, we add our voice to the chorus that forms opinions and the basis for actions." — Jens Stoltenberg

5. "Voting is as much an emotional act as it is an intellectual one." — Monica Crowley

6. "People aren't necessarily as concerned with how you vote as long as they feel they have a voice. If you can cross that basic threshold — that is, when a voter knows you're willing to listen to them and that you care about their lives — then that's most of what you need to get their vote. It's not your voting record." — John Yarmuth

7. "It's up to all of us, the consumers, to take charge of our health. It's almost like voting. It's your responsibility." — Anne Wojcicki

8. "Having personally watched the Voting Rights Act being signed into law that August day, I can't begin to imagine how we could have all been so wrong in believing that more Americans would vote once they were all truly free to do so." — Andrew Young

9. "Voting is like alchemy - taking an abstract value and breathing life into it." — Sharon Salzberg

10. "Voting is how we participate in a civic society — be it for president, be it for a municipal election. It's the way we teach our children — in school elections — how to be citizens, and the importance of their voice." — Loretta Lynch

11. "Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country and this world." — Sharon Salzberg

12. "Every citizen of this country should be guaranteed that their vote matters, that their vote is counted, and that in the voting booth, their vote has a much weight as that of any CEO, any member of Congress, or any President." — Barbara Boxer

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