While at this point, some of us would rather have a colonoscopy, root canal, or even ALMOST a Vikings Super Bowl victory, than hear another word about Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, voting for our elected officials is a privilege that we should not take for granted.

If anyone has been living under a rock, Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Every vote counts.  Every vote matters.  Nothing is for certain until the ballots are counted.

There is no excuse to not vote.

Too busy?  According to the A.C. Nielsen Company, the average American watches approximately five hours of television a day.  Make the time to vote.  There are also options to vote early absentee in Wisconsin.

Not registered?  Wisconsin is one of only 10 states (and the District of Columbia) that offers same day voter registration, allowing a person to register right at the polls.  In Virginia, for example, a person would be out of luck to vote, if they were not registered by the middle of October.  Plus, a voter would need a valid excuse to vote early absentee, as well as a valid photo identification.

Don’t like the candidates?  Become a candidate.  Or, get educated sooner in the next primary and vote for who should win, not who is thought to win.  Or, recognize that our nation has had good and bad elected officials in the past and still survived.  Voting is our civic duty.  Demonstrating our support for freedom and democracy is important.  And selecting the leader of the free world is a responsibility that no one should take lightly.

Winston Churchill is quoted as once saying, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”  Let us do everything we can to prove him wrong.  Take some time to learn about the candidates on the ballot and make an educated decision based on personal principles when voting.  The individuals we elect will be making decisions that impact our lives for the next two, four, and six years.