Let’s face it: the upcoming midterm election just doesn’t exude the same sex appeal that Obamarama and Palin-tology did at this time two years ago. Thanks to our beloved age of Jon Stewart and “Rock the Vote,” for most of us, sending in an absentee ballot for one’s congressional representative or city comptroller doesn’t seem nearly as exciting or significant as voting for “change we can believe in.” I’m no exception. While this will be the first midterm election that I’ll be eligible to vote in, I can’t say that I’m counting down the days until November 2nd.

However, some people are, and for very good reasons. My friend’s father is running for office this election cycle, and needless to say, November 2nd is a very important day for him. I recently received a text from that friend that said “17 more days to go!” and it reminded me that the democratic process isn’t something that happens just once in four years. Rather, it’s the product of the citizenry continuously holding elected officials accountable for public interests. And this can be accomplished only when we, the people, are engaged in the political sphere even, and maybe even particularly, when there isn’t a presidential election to spice up C-SPAN.

For the past decade, presidential election years have had about 15 to 19% higher voter turnout than the midterm election year preceding it[1]; such consistent discrepancy indicates that perception about relative voter excitement probably isn’t far from reality. Perhaps people are less motivated to vote when they don’t feel that what or whom they’d be voting for is very important. The paradox of midterm elections is that their outcomes, however unglamorous, can have hugely influential implications.

No one needs to be reminded that we are living an especially crucial era in U.S. history, one in which our country’s global position will largely be determined by the policies that are implemented in the near future. But it’s easy to forget that these integral policies are largely determined by the people who get elected now. The candidates elected during the midterm elections will not only make short-term, localized policy decisions but will also direct whose interests get realized for years to come. American government is a dynamic entity—what happens at even the lowest level affects and is affected by what happens at the systemic level. And what happens or doesn’t happen in the voting booth determines it all. Citizens are a crucial part of our “checks and balances” system of democracy; if we don’t participate, the system as our founders intended it becomes severely handicapped.

The upcoming midterm election will perhaps be more decisive than any such election before: its outcome could determine everything from healthcare to immigration to geopolitics. Voting in this election means you’ll be affecting contemporary affairs but more importantly it means you’ll be helping to direct the future—our future. By not voting, your civic silence could potentially shape a future that you wouldn’t want for yourself, let alone your posterity.

Even if this election comes and goes without the fanfare of the last, it is in many ways just as dramatic. As American novelist Louis L’Amour put it: “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.” Protect your future, or at least your right to complain about it, by casting your ballot on November 2nd.

Voter registration and absentee ballot request deadlines vary by state but you can find your state’s information here. If you’re registered to vote in Ithaca, Tompkins County polling places will be open from 6 am to 9 pm on Election Day and you can find your assigned location here. See you at the polls!

[1] United States Election Project. http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2008G.html