When the polls close tonight, the people who actually cast a ballot in this election will have had a part in determining the consequences of Wisconsin’s fall election. And to put it bluntly, to the victors will belong the spoils. Those elected as governor, attorney general, US Senator, members of Congress, members of our state senate and state assembly will be in involved with enacting policies that will directly impact our lives for years to come. Voting is a trust, a matter of stewardship; those who show up determine the outcome.

Yes, there’s more to life than elections and government. But government does have a way of inserting itself into our lives. In a Republic voting is one of the main ways we have a say in whether that insertion is limited and appropriate or whether it is dictatorial and overreaching, whether our liberties are respected or restricted. Elections matter; every vote in every election matters.