The message is simple. Vote.

Here's more information about for whom, and where and how.

Do you need more convincing? 40% of eligible voters did not vote in the Presidential election in 2016. 33% of eligible Kansans did not vote in that election, almost 600,000 people. In 2014, Sam Brownback won re-election as Governor by 32,000 votes. 857,000 eligible voters did not bother to vote in that election. Every vote counts.

This is a primary election for local municipal and school board positions. Many people think these elections are less important. But Kansans for Life have taken the time to discover and endorse pro-life candidates. Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers' political machine, has spent the money to create and mail postcards in favor of certain candidates. And prominent Kansas ultra conservative politicians like Mary Pilcher Cook and Greg Smith are backing city council and school board candidates from the shadows. Every race counts.

But most importantly, these local candidates will become the elected officials that matter most to you. They affect your streets, your neighborhood, your schools and your shops. They make sure the trash gets picked up. They make sure children are taught well. They maintain your parks. More than any other politician, they make decisions that affect your life. You count.

So go vote. It's a selfish act, and an altruistic one, both. It's a right our country has bled for, and a duty for all of us. It is how you win that argument on Facebook.

And when you have voted, look for how you can do more than vote. Help someone to the polls. Talk your neighbors into voting. Ask how you can volunteer at the polls next time.

Remember to do more than vote. Get informed, get involved, make a difference.