Today I turned 18. I wanted to go to basketball practice and dinner with friends. And I wanted to vote.

I prepared by researching the candidates and the process of voting. As a reporter for AL.com this fall, I read a lot about the election. I used news articles to research the process and the candidates.

My polling place was at Inglenook K-8 in Birmingham, the school I attended for my elementary and middle school education. It was an extraordinary experience to have the power of voice and vote in the place where I grew up.

When I arrived Tuesday morning, the air was cold and the environment reminded me of a classroom where students are taking an important test. Everyone was quiet, and there were certain stations set up with different requirements. I gave my information to one of the elderly ladies seated at a table for incomers when she asked me if it was my first time and I replied with yes. She said a joke about how young I looked and I told her I had just turned 18 and I wanted to vote. I expected strictness and sternness but I was greeted with kindness. Then the pollworker explained the process and how to fill out the voting sheet and then I sat down and made my choices.

Circling in those bubbles gave me the option to say my opinion and to have my thoughts considered and heard.

I know many young people don’t choose to vote. There are about 41 million Gen Z voters in the United States, and even though this group has recently had high turnout, early results indicate that fewer of these voters cast ballots on Tuesday, according to an analysis from Tufts University.

While I was at Inglenook, I asked several other Birmingham voters about their advice for young people.

“If I had any advice for young voters it would be to go vote. There was a time we (Black people) couldn’t vote, it is a privilege to vote as a Black person and live in a free society. Every vote makes a difference and every vote counts, failure or not,” said Ellis Payne, who is 67, and said he voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I voted for Kamala Harris to represent and support an African American woman becoming the first female president and the second African American to become president in history—a double minority,“ said Journey Jones, who is 25. ”Other reasons are personal, but l’d like to see a change in gun laws, which she supports becoming more strict on gaining access to and uses of a gun.”

“I advise young voters to get involved in the community when it comes to voting, not only for things like the presidency,” Jones said. “Know the chains of commands for knowing why you should vote by understanding the roles and purpose of your state’s governor, senators, circuit judges, sheriffs, etc., to know how bills and laws that affect our daily lives are created and passed. Lastly, I advise young people to stand up for something. Understand that young people are the future leaders of society. Stand for something that affects people’s lives positively, and that is realistic and sustainable for economical living in America, especially being a minority in any way. I think my vote made a difference because simply every vote counts. My vote is another voice seeking to be a part of the electing history of a brown woman in power.”

I also wanted to use the power given to me. I knew I was one part of a big network, in Alabama and in Birmingham, that believed in the importance of voting, from the civil rights movement to today. When I was researching my choices, I saw an article about Perman Hardy, who dedicated her day to driving people to the polls. And I got to write about Birmingham’s local bus system offering free rides on Election Day. Interviewing other voters on Tuesday helped me understand their perspectives and personal reasons behind their decisions.

I’ve heard many people say they aren’t going to vote because they feel as if their vote doesn’t matter or the outcome is already decided. I chose to vote because with that pen in my hand, I thought my choices did matter.

Breonna Atkins is a senior at Carver High School in Birmingham and a reporting intern at AL.com through the Birmingham Promise program.