given the way the U.S. electoral college works and the fact that I live in a swing state, my vote does actually matter, so I do it. even when I didn't live in a swing state voting was 1) easy enough (mail-in ballot) and 2) especially important for local elections. now that I live here, voting is not easy (I had to wait 3 hours in line in the middle of my work day to vote in the democratic early voting of my state), but it's still important. you'd be surprised at how much a few votes can sway the outcome. if nothing else I just like my opinions to be known, and I can do that by having my vote counted.

also, my parents didn't come across the ocean to this country for me to waste my vote or throw away any potential opportunity for change. that seems like an insult to where I came from

In my country there are two parties, and they're polar opposites of each other. They have opposite views on just about every issue. One party is in the right about almost everything, the other party is in the wrong about almost everything. And the house and senate pretty much vote for everything directly on party lines. So it makes a huge difference whether the president is a Republican or a Democrat, what the majority in the house is and what the majority in the senate is. And other things such as the state governor. If the evil party likes voting more than the good party does, then the country goes down the toilet. It does make a difference. So we have to fight for the good.