This year’s Memorial Day holiday is extra special as it also serves as a prelude to county election day on Tuesday, June 1. To celebrate Memorial Day this year, voters can honor those who died in U.S. wars by exercising their right to vote.

Some county officials predict a small voter turnout this year considering Monday’s holiday. Many people will be off from work, enjoying vacations and backyard barbecues.

While fishing lures are cast into the waters of Lay Lake and countless catfish ponds on Monday, we hope that voters remember to cast their ballots on Tuesday. It’s important to take advantage of this right, privilege and responsibility or else it faces corrosion due to lack of use.

Citizens who fail to vote risk losing credibility when complaining about the actions of their elected officials. Not voting signals a lack of concern for the community and its leaders, but it also reflects poorly on the person who chooses not to take advantage of a right earned by the nation’s soldiers.

The dream that became America is based on the belief that individuals can govern themselves. If we don’t take advantage of this opportunity, we belittle that dream and leave government to those who may not be the best qualified