Tomorrow would be like any other Tuesday in February, except that it is election day. You are not alone if this is news to you.

Without the glamour of national or state races, special elections are the black sheep of democracy and are regularly ignored by voters. However, these elections are as important as any general or primary election because they deal with local issues that impact our everyday lives. UW students should make their voices heard by voting in tomorrow’s special election.

Historically, participation in U.S. elections has never been especially high. However, voter turnout has been steadily increasing in recent years. The November 2008 presidential election generated an astonishing 84-percent turnout among registered voters in King County. That is why it is so disheartening to see the lack of interest in special elections, which have had turnouts of 22, 33 and 31 percent for the past three years in King County. What happened to the roughly 50-to-60-percent of registered voters who drove election participation to new heights just over a year ago?

Part of the reason is that special elections focus on local issues that are viewed as less exciting than a gubernatorial or presidential contest. For example, tomorrow’s ballot consists only of two propositions for school levies. However, these local issues can have a greater effect on our everyday lives than legislation in Olympia, Wash., or Washington, D.C. We should be more engaged than apathetic about voting on local issues.

Low turnout also removes one of the most important forms of feedback our government has to discern public opinion. Elected officials cannot tell if a proposal has broad public support if only 20-to-30-percent of the electorate participates. The result of the election may only represent the opinion of an engaged interest group rather than the general public. You should not be surprised that your representatives do not represent your interests if you do not vote.

Washington state makes it so easy to make an informed vote that there is really no excuse for not participating in every election. Registered voters receive voter pamphlets on all of the issues and candidates on the ballot weeks before the election. You can even save postage by dropping your ballot off in a 24-hour drop box located in downtown Seattle. King County has even set up electronic tracking for absentee ballots, so you can follow the progress of your ballot online.

Voting is part of the bare minimum that our government asks of us in exchange for all of the rights and privileges we enjoy as Americans. It’s a small price to pay for the benefits of U.S. citizenship, yet many Americans cannot even put forth the minimal effort required, with young Americans being some of the worst offenders. Olympia and D.C. will continue to ignore the issues of students as long as we show them we can be ignored by not voting.

Reach columnist Mike Noon at opinion@dailyuw.com.