It’s tempting to print only two words in this space today: &uot;Vote today.&uot; And, we wish getting residents of the Miss-Lou to vote were as simple as a brief reminder in the daily newspaper.

In reality, though, battling the voter apathy that plagues our country and our region is anything but simple.

And getting voters to the polls is anything but easy.

Today, Americans will cast ballots for the next president of the United States — arguably the most important elected office in our democracy. And, by all accounts the race between GOP contender George W. Bush and Democrat nominee Al Gore is a cliffhanger.

Add to that the constitutional amendments in Concordia Parish that could give teachers a much-needed raise and could establish a new, privately funded economic development agency; the election of a congressman in the parish; state Supreme Court races in Mississippi; and the election of a 4th District congressman in Southwest Mississippi, and you’d expect a high interest among the electorate. The crucial question remains: will that high level of interest result in action at the polls?

We certainly hope so. We’d like to see the Miss-Lou’s voter turnout surpass the traditionally &uot;high&uot; turnout that hovers around 50 percent … a disappointing number, really, when you consider the impact of the election at hand.

After all, voting is our responsibility as members of a democracy and a right we enjoy as Americans. Millions of people around the world envy that precious right, and we should value and exercise it.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Mississippi and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Louisiana.

So go ahead …

Go vote.