Through the lengthy and oftentimes bitter election season that concludes today, there have been few issues on which both sides of the political aisle have been able to enthusiastically agree. But one message has been endorsed in the most overwhelmingly unanimous of tones, and it is a point we would like to reiterate today: voting is essential.

The most important thing you can do for your country that will help your country do more for you is to take to the polls today. Whether you favor the candidates we choose to endorse over the past several days, other persons on the ballot or someone who needs to be written in, you can both amplify a strong message of support for the persons you back and for the importance of college students in the grand realm of the Republic’s electoral makeup.

In 2000, Wisconsin’s presidential vote was decided by a little more than 5,500 votes. And while a number so much larger than your single tally may seem daunting, consider that this now-infamous margin amounts to just over one eighth of the University of Wisconsin’s student body and roughly a single vote per precinct across the state.

This campus is empowered to make a bold statement today and swing a presidential election that will affect the nation for at least four years. But that is not where the message students need to send will end.

By proving an essential piece of the electorate, students nationwide can force political leaders to turn their attention to the concerns of those seeking a higher education and attempting to enter the job market. There can be little doubt that the overwhelming national emphasis on health care, Social Security and issues of the like derives in large part from the dependable turnout of senior citizens at the polls. The time has come to show that the non-geriatric populous cares and matters just as much.

However, it is also important that we take to the polls with the sort of solid education we receive in class every week. To simply show up and vote without a genuine appreciation of the candidates you are choosing amongst is no finer an idea than to show up at an exam without any knowledge of the material being tested.

So read through the pages of this newspaper, visit candidates’ websites, explore other news sources and do whatever it takes to make an intelligent, informed decision when you step into that booth today.

Moreover, make sure you arrive at the correct polling place. Recent literature dropped around campus has errantly suggested that students may choose where to vote — this is not the case, and you should check in this newspaper or at the city’s website to correctly identify the appropriate polling place.

Make sure you show up during the hours when precincts will be open, and then take a few moments to speak your voice. This is the most powerful nation in the history of the world, and today you can play an integral part in the operation of the democracy that drives that mighty force.