In an exclusive column for News One, First Lady Michelle Obama urged everyone to vote in this election:

“Every voice must be heard, every vote must be counted.”

We all know what the President stands for. He believes that children deserve an education that will equip them to succeed; that parents should not have to fight insurance companies to cover their child’s pre-existing condition; that women deserve fair pay, and that our communities need to be safe.

But whether those battles will be won or lost depends on all of us. It’s up to each and every one of us to vote, make our voices heard, and keep building on the progress we’ve made.

To underscore that point, the First Lady recalled the close margins in 2008. In the last election, President Obama won Florida by 236,000 votes, Ohio by 262,000 votes and North Carolina by only 14,000 votes. The First Lady said:

“This might not seem like a lot but when you spread those votes across thousands of precincts, in Florida, he [President Obama] won by just 36 votes per precinct. He won Ohio by just 24 votes per precinct. And he won North Carolina by just five votes per precinct.”

That means in 2012, no one can afford to sit on the sidelines.

And the First Lady is asking everyone to vote, and then do their part.

Read the First Lady’s full interview -- then get ready to vote. Every vote counts, and yours could make all the difference.

GOTTAVOTE.COM