The faculty of the Divinity School recently circulated a petition decrying a possible war in Iraq. Though the petition was small in scale—it had only 35 signatories—it bespeaks the ease with which the public can voice its opinion. It also says something about the value of doing so. Today is, as we hope everyone has realized, Election Day. While it is unlikely that any of our readers need to be told the importance of voting, we feel compelled to reiterate that importance.

Even in the face of a gubernatorial race featuring less-than-ideal candidates from both major parties, Illinois voters should still feel obligated and encouraged to make themselves heard. Excuses such as “I don’t like either candidate,” or “My vote won’t matter,” engender voter apathy in general and slow the gears in the machine of representative democracy. A vote for a third-party candidate is not wasted. In fact, it is important to register disapproval of the major party candidates. U of C students are quick to give their personal views on many issues, be it in the classroom, at a protest, or in a newspaper. Yet those same students are often reluctant to register their opinion in the one forum where it is guaranteed to be counted: the voting booth.