Like the thirsty man in the desert crying out in excitement when he sees a mirage, we dutifully write in this space as Election Day comes around about the importance of taking a few minutes to cast your vote.

Inevitably, it seems to do little good. Turnout is somewhat higher when we elect a president, only less so when we are choosing our U.S. senators.

But it is abysmally low when the only seats on the ballot are for local races.

So rather than encouraging you to vote, we ask you to consider what could happen if you just shucked that responsibility on Tuesday.

It's been said we get the kind of government we ask for. But what happens if no one asks?

Well, even at the local level, that degree of accountability fades when only a few hundred cast their ballot. Even local elected leaders can reach the conclusion that the lack of voter interest means those elected officials must be a doing a good job.

And, maybe, that's correct. But, more likely elected leaders, who think their constituents don't care enough to vote, take that as sign to do what they want.

What you get then, is a government that's in disarray, one that doesn't do the will of the people so much as it does the will of the strongest voices in the elected body.

So, go ahead, skip the polling places this week. After all what does one vote really mean in the outcome of the election? Surely it's not that important. After all, the government you have is doing great, right? Right?