In Maryland, early voting begins on Thursday, Oct. 24, mere days away, and we strongly encourage those eligible to vote to make plans to cast a ballot. That’s especially true for anyone who might not be available to show up at their local polling place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, or seek an absentee ballot. Early voting centers are often less busy, and since they are open for a week (from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.), they can be quite convenient. This is not the year to take a pass on voting. Not in Baltimore. Not in Maryland. Not in the United States of America.

Politicians tend to portray every election as high stakes. How better to motivate supporters? Yet this year, it seems no exaggeration. Consider, for example, what we have witnessed just this week with former President Donald Trump threatening to use troops to confront the “enemy within” (which apparently meant liberals) on Election Day to his extended dancing at an especially weird town hall to his claim at a Fox News event of being the “father of IVF” (having learned about it from a “fantastically attractive” U.S. Sen. Katie Britt). And, of course, this is coming from the candidate who intends to round up millions of immigrants, replace a sweeping number of mid-level civil servants with his hand-picked appointees, and he perceives Jan. 6 as a “day of love” and the rioters as heroes.

Some voters may have serious concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent, as well. Many of the most common reservations — that she would continue President Joe Biden’s policies on immigration and the economy or is generally more progressive on social issues like abortion rights, for example — seem somewhat less existential, but everyone has a right to their opinion.

Still, it’s one thing to express a view to a spouse or friend or colleague, or even post it on social media. It’s quite another to exercise one’s franchise and take action. It was really not so long ago in this country when Black people and women of any race were not legally allowed to vote. Have we forgotten how precious this right is?

No excuses. Not this year. Last Wednesday, former President Jimmy Carter cast a ballot in Georgia, a potential swing state in the presidential contest. He turned 100 years old on Oct. 1 and has been in hospice care for a year and a half, yet he returned his early ballot by mail. Friends and family say he had been talking for weeks about living long enough to vote for Harris. He understands how important it is to vote. Do the rest of us?

We don’t want to hear about how Harris is a lock in deep-blue Maryland. Whether that’s the case or not, there are still plenty of important decisions on the ballot, including a high-profile U.S. Senate race featuring former Gov. Larry Hogan and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and the statewide ballot Question 1 which, if approved, would help ensure abortion rights by giving them constitutional protection. And many local jurisdictions have important decisions on matters from the future of Baltimore’s Harborplace to choosing local school boards.

Americans claim to value democracy and the constitution. We honor those who have fallen on the battlefield to preserve and protect our rights. But what conclusions should we draw when so many of us don’t bother to vote despite their sacrifices? Four years ago, 66% of the U.S. voting eligible population cast a ballot, the strongest turnout in more than a century. But that still means that about 79 million Americans who could have voted did not.

We don’t choose presidents and vice presidents by popular vote but by the Electoral College with electors assigned proportionately by state. But the final tally is far from meaningless.

Let us send a message at the ballot box that we are paying attention and that we care about our nation’s future: Vote.