It’s been reported almost unanimously that the youth vote is becoming increasingly important. It’s also widely known that we have been getting to the polls more often.

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, presidential elections are beginning to draw the 18 to 29 year old vote more and more.

Around 26 percent of voters fell into that age range during the 2008 election, compared to roughly 18 percent in 2004 and about only six percent in 2000.

But the primaries don’t always receive the same amount of attention from our age range. The reality is that these elections aren’t as widely publicized because the results don’t seem to affect as much in the long run. Therefore, we often consider it less important to head to our local polling place.

But the problem with this attitude is that it can start to snowball, and if you’re less and less interested, maybe you’ll forget the whole thing.

Let’s say you decide to stay home Tuesday. You may be leaning toward a Republican candidate, but you know he’ll win, so you’re not worried. Or perhaps you feel no one is qualified, so you’d rather just stay out of it.

What if we all thought that way?

We’d be cheating ourselves out of having the best possible republican candidate to challenge the president in the fall.

Or let’s say you’ve had it with politics. You’ve watched and listened as the president has made promise after promise, with few being fulfilled, so you decide to turn a deaf ear to the political hoopla. You figure a Republican president is unlikely to be any different.

What if we all thought that way?

We’d be cheating ourselves out of an opportunity to make our voices heard.

So take an hour today to do some research. Head to the polls Tuesday, and cast your vote.

If you don’t, you really can’t complain.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.