Yes, go vote: Despite what polls say, the race is not over yet

It's not over until the last vote has been counted.

That advice could not be any truer, especially this year, this election.

It might seem like the polls are saying there is no reason to cast your vote, that the numbers are so overwhelming that you won't make a difference.

The news reports might tempt you to stay home, to put away your McCain/Palin signs and wait for the next four years to be over -- or to call and order your Barack Obama presidential T-shirt.

But beware. Polls can be funny. They can tell you that a race is over -- that there is no way a candidate has a chance to win. They can show you spreads that make a victory or a defeat impossible. They can tell you battleground states are not really battlegrounds.

But they can also be wrong -- dead wrong.

There have been many examples of elections that were labeled as over weeks before the actual vote count only for the results to show a different tale.

The truth is there will be many who will listen to the polls, the results, the pundits and decide the election is over. So, they will keep their votes to themselves.

Not a good idea, especially if the future of your country is important to you.

This has been a long, sometimes bloody and deeply felt campaign for those on both sides -- and the spirit and interest we have seen this year has been inspiring.

But it all means nothing if those votes aren't cast and we let the media or politicians tell us our voices don't matter.

So, no matter what anyone tells you, go claim your "I Voted Today" sticker.

It is a badge of honor -- and a right and responsibility not to be taken lightly.

Published in Editorials on October 24, 2008 11:04 AM