The essential act of being an American is to have your say at the ballot box in the running of the country.

It’s the rite of democracy, a communal celebration of our values and heritage.

And we get to exercise that right again on Tuesday, Election Day.

Fantastic.

The choices are crucial in these tough economic times: Congress is in play and we Georgians will choose a governor. There are also crucial local races on the ballot, and statewide amendments in play. The folks we put into office on Tuesday will shape policies that will help determine whether we continue to linger in an economic malaise, or begin to see a return of jobs and prosperity.

The candidates have had their say, now, it’s our turn. If you haven’t educated yourself yet on the issues, do your homework now: Check out our sample ballot in today’s paper and our candidate profiles online at Covnews.com.

Then, head to your local precinct on Tuesday (we have a list of those, too). It doesn’t matter whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Libertarian, Election Day belongs to us all.

So get out there and vote.