10 Times TV & Movies Proved Your Vote Counts

The final stretch of the presidential election is wearing all of us down. All the news, ads, and rhetoric can sometimes have the opposite of its intended effect, making some people want to throw up their hands and decide to stay home on November 8.

Please don't do that.

If you don't want to take our word that your participation keeps democracy alive, how about the words of Jessie Spano, Olivia Pope, and Tracy Flick?

TV and movies can't resist the natural drama of a good election. The clash of personalities! The speeches! The dirty machinations of the puppeteers behind the scenes!

But there's also a serious message to be gleaned from movies like Election and very special episodes on every show from South Park to Black Mirror. Whether we're talking about elections for student council, the White House, or the British Parliament, the only way for little people to exercise their power — against billionaires or high school despots — is with their votes. Watch any of the following, and you, too, will feel fired up to fill out your own ballot.