Everyone knows about Election Day in November. Idahoans will go to the polls and choose between a Republican and a Democrat, but outside of a handful of districts, the outcome will not be in doubt.

There is another Election Day in Idaho that might be even more consequential. This Tuesday, May 21, you have the opportunity to decide which Republican candidates will represent the party in the general election. In most districts, this will be the winner in November, so if you skip the primary then you will miss your chance to make your voice heard.

Both the US and Idaho Constitutions open with the same three words: “We the people.” Our Founders had the radical idea that supreme power was not vested in a king, an oligarchy, or even the rule by experts that so many seem to want today. No, it was vested in the people of this country—the regular men and women who live here.

Even our Founders weren’t sure about allowing too many people into the political process. At first only landowners could cast their votes, then only white men. Freed black slaves were given the vote with the 15th amendment and women with the 19th. Native Americans gained the right to vote in 1924, and finally, the franchise was extended to 18, 19, and 20-year-olds in 1971.

Voting is easier than ever today, but turnout is often unacceptably low. Don’t take this precious right for granted. If you don’t show up to vote, especially in the primary where everything is on the line, we might as well be living in an oligarchy rather than a representative republic. Not showing up to vote means letting a small group of political insiders decide who represents you in our government.

On Tuesday you will have the privilege of selecting your nominees for Legislature, county commissioner, and county sheriff, as well as the precinct committeemen who will represent you in the Idaho Republican Party. These are all important positions that will influence the future of our communities and our state, so don’t miss the opportunity to take part in the decision.

Go vote. Did you receive an absentee ballot? Fill it out and put it in a secure drop box. If you cannot make it on Tuesday, you still have a chance to vote early this week. Contact your county clerk’s office for locations. How you vote matters less than making sure you vote at all.

Your elected representatives will be making important decisions over the next two years, including ranked choice voting, taxes and spending, and even protecting families and children from the ongoing leftist assault. This election is too important to watch from the sidelines, so make a plan to vote on Tuesday, May 21.