Does Voting Really Matter?

Every four years we choose a POTUS [President of the United States] to lead, guide and represent us in upcoming events. How we come to a decision, by voting of course, for the candidate we believe shall symbolize our nation accordingly. But there is a question that tends to arise with the way over voting system is set up especially on blogs such as the one on http://montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080106/OPINION02/801040359/1006. This question is “is voting really necessary?” I mean, the votes of the states are determined by the electoral colleges which is the supposed “choice” of the people of the state. If that’s how it is, then why do voters even participate in the elections when the higher ups are the ones calling the shot? Voting has its ups and downs; people see these positives and negatives differently. For example, in the caucuses and primaries, candidates travel all over the United States to win the support of the voters in the elections. Besides it being a popularity contest, voters have a chance to participate in the selection of their top two leaders, on Democratic and on Republican. This can give them a sense of accomplishment because they feel as if they have done something for this country by helping elect a leader. I'm just saying that there seems to be a certain time for the public vote and that is during the months before the elections, in the primaries and caucuses. Since when it comes down to the final results, it is the electoral colleges that get that say even when their opinions come from a majority vote from the voters, a simplified statement from wikipedia. I believe that voting is a preference since there are those who feel so strongly about it and those that just don't want to deal with it.