If you haven't done so yet, make sure you clear at least a little bit of time in your schedule tomorrow to do so.
Tuesday is Election Day, one of the most important days in this, and any other, year.
It is a day when we get to celebrate what it means to truly be a free and independent people. It is a day when, once again, we will begin the process of peacefully transitioning from one set of leaders to another and make decisions on whether we should enact new taxes on ourselves.
It is a great credit to our nation that we do this without the violence and strife that mars elections in so many other countries.
It is a great disappointment, however, that so few people choose to participate in the process.
Even in an election such as this one, where so many positions in both parties are up for grabs and a sales tax increase is on the table, we could see fewer than 50 percent of those eligible to vote actually cast their ballot. Anything above a 50 percent turnout would be considered a great success, but in reality it would mean that only 1 in 2 eligible voters bothered to give their opinion on who they think should help lead the state and country.
Don't be one of those people who gives into apathy and says my vote won't count.
As so many past elections have proved, only a handful of votes either way can change the outcome of even a presidential election. As the number of voters gets smaller, the impact that any one vote can have gets magnified.
There are lots of excuses offered by people for why they don't vote, but there are no good reasons.
There are no real barriers to registration as there have been in the past. The advent of one-stop voting has made casting your ballot easier than ever, and in fact, more than 3,300 local people participated in it during this primary. And on Tuesday the polls will remain open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The very nature of our country is that you have the right not to vote. And even if you don't vote, you still have the right to complain about the government and have your opinions and grievances heard.
But if you don't vote, you forfeit the most basic right that this country was founded upon and that thousands of people have died to defend.
Every voice in the United States does count. Don't silence yours. Please vote.