The real test ... Do Americans really care enough to vote? We will see now.

It was easy to get out to vote in November 2008. There was hype galore and all kinds of people talking about history.

It wasn't about politics, legislation or even about polls. It was about a movement of sorts -- an emotional surge.

Now, this Tuesday, and in the coming months, it is going to be tougher to be interested in elections. It is going to take work -- feelings and history will not be enough to motivate people to make decisions to cast their vote. It will take more effort to be an informed voter and more decisions will have to be made to take the time to do so -- locally, statewide and nationally.

And while that is good -- it is a test -- a reason to look more closely at the American electoral process and what role it should have in planning the future.

We need to see if people get it -- if they see how important their informed vote is to the future of their communities, their states and their country.

How much interest they take will show whether we have turned the corner and now have an engaged citizenry. The truth is that the small elections are as important as the big ones. Let's hope we get that now.

We will know for sure Tuesday.

Published in Editorials on November 2, 2009 10:41 AM