The time has come again. The candidates have campaigned, the issues have been debated. All that remains is for voters to make their decision.

But with Tuesday’s election only being a primary, it may seem as though an individual vote does not matter. After all, most of the decisions made Tuesday aren’t the final say, instead they only lead up to the November general election.

To the contrary - each vote matters just as much, if not more. And even in August, with a large number of the area’s population still gone until fall begins, it is possible and necessary for students to make their presence felt. Students are known for being lackadaisical when it comes to making it to the polls.

They don’t bother to investigate the issues and they simply don’t vote, especially if the election in question is not a presidential one.

Some might blame a lack of interest in the issues, or a lack of information about the candidates. But the only real answer to why an eligible person would not vote is simple laziness.

Information is available to anyone who seeks it. Answers to questions about issues and candidates also are there for the taking, if only a person takes the initiative to find them.

Each and every person elected plays a role in the daily lives of those in they’re supposed to represent. From judges to state representatives to school-board members, every single election has a direct effect on how every person lives their lives.

With Tuesday’s primary, the race for Michigan’s next governor will be narrowed from three Democrats and two Republicans to one apiece. Each of the five candidates has varied opinions and ideas about the future of the state, from how to deal with an increasingly tight budget to how to reign in the cost of higher education.

There is simply no viable excuse for remaining silent.

Make your way to the polls and let yourself be heard.