But it does matter.

That is what privilege is. You haven't been personally affected, as far as you know, by politics or society at large, because you are not part of a disenfranchised group. You have the privilege of not knowing what it is like for others.

Your right to be married isn't on the ballot (non-cis/non-heterosexual people).

Your access to a standard medical procedure isn't on the ballot (women).

Politicians across the country aren't running on the position that you don't deserve to exist (transgender individuals).

Politicians across the country don't openly court the support of and embolden the hatred of groups that wish you were dead (Jews and blacks right now, but others as well).

Etc.

You say it doesn't matter because it hasn't caused you personal pain yet. But you live in a city full of people that are constantly harmed by politics. And it just so happens that almost all of that harm is caused by individuals of the same political party.

And to answer your first question: yes, who you vote for does matter for all of this. Do not give power to the people that campaign on pushing policies that will actively harm groups of people or who court the support of, and therefore embolden, hate groups.

In 2022, a vote for a Republican is a vote to harm women's rights and autonomy in America, to further villainize one of the most marginalized communities in our society (transgender individuals), and give a rubber stamp of approval to people that campaigned with dog whistles galore about how Jews, Muslims and black people are evil and the cause of many of the problems in our society.

Not only does giving power to these individuals give them the opportunity to pass laws that will harm these groups, but it also tells the world that we are a country that supports harming these individuals.