California values are often mocked by much of the country. They say we’re out of the mainstream, out of touch with classic Americana, a rogue state.

At the same time, we look at the rest of the country askew, unable to comprehend how George W. Bush was elected-let alone reelected. Our politics are progressive. Even our Republican governor is pro-choice. But an environment that fosters so little dissent can lead to apathy, particularly among young voters who may lose sight of the influence of each vote.

Recent polling shows Obama up big in California. But a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California revealed that only 54 percent are against Proposition 8, which would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.

If approved by voters in November, Proposition 8 would overturn the recent 4-3 California Supreme Court decision.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court held that a 1977 piece of legislation and a 2000 ballot initiative that limited marriage to opposite-sex couples violated the state constitutional rights of same-sex couples. With this decision, California joined Massachusetts in recognizing that “banning same-sex couples from marriage infringed on an individual’s civil rights.” To many of our generation, the court’s ruling was a no-brainer. But there is still a wall of intolerance when it comes to older voters.

Statewide, the Field poll released in May found 68 percent of people, ages 18-29, are against Proposition 8, compared to 35 percent among those 65 and older, typically the most consistent voting block. The same poll also showed 68 percent of San Francisco Bay Area voters against Proposition 8 – a sharp contrast to the 57 percent of Northern Californians outside of the Bay Area, who favor the measure and want same-sex marriages banned.

While it’s easy to feel your vote may not matter when it comes to the presidential ballot, there’s no doubt that every vote will count when it comes to Proposition 8. A simple majority determines the fate of the constitutional amendment in California.

Improving turnout will be key to voting down Prop. 8. Californians have a unique opportunity to show that all Californians, regardless of sexual orientation, can live the “American Dream.”

Many of you are registered to vote, and many more of you have yet to register. Taking for granted that someone else will represent your vote doesn’t cut it come Nov. 4, 2008.