For those of you who registered and voted yesterday, this paper would just like to say thanks. The time you spent reviewing candidates, traveling to polling sites or simply filling out and mailing in absentee ballots was well spent, we assure you.

You exercised your rights as privileged American citizens and helped decide which candidates would continue on to the November general election.

One vote at a time.

If you did so correctly, and didn’t cross party lines — as if the constant media barrage wasn’t enough to deter such mistakes — your vote did much more as well. It reaffirmed your belief, and even the belief of others, that you are a valued citizen. That one man or woman’s action can still make a difference in the decisions of our government. Hopefully, the final tallies will show an enormous voter turnout.

There is really no excuse for anything else and statements like “the primary doesn’t really matter” are about as lame as a two-legged horse. While there are some go-aheads, numerous candidates live and die by the primary ballot blade. Your decision yesterday stayed the knife for some and sent others packing their signs.

Our government — from the county to the national level — makes countless decisions without our input, so when it is sought, we should be more than willing to take the time and answer the call by educating ourselves on the issues and voting for or against those who will shape our future.

Thank you all again for exercising your rights as Americans. You voted. You made a difference.