Dignity Day. That’s what the Rev. Jesse Jackson has tagged today, election day in Mississippi.

His mantra during a three-day, get-out-the-vote sweep through Mississippi this weekend was simple, but pertinent:

Voting is a matter of dignity.

&uot;Most people don’t have the right to vote in the world today,&uot; he told a Natchez crowd on Sunday. &uot;But we can, so it’s a matter of dignity.&uot;

We couldn’t agree more.

The right to vote is a precious one … harder won for women and African-Americans than other people perhaps, but still precious to all.

And the greatest disrespect – both to ourselves and our country – is apathy.

It doesn’t matter whether you agree with Jackson’s choice of candidates, or if you agree with the endorsements printed in this space on Sunday.

What’s important is that you have an opinion – and you have the commitment and the character to express that opinion at the polls.

Because by voting, you are acknowledging the fact that you have a voice in our government – and that your voice matters.

And make no mistake about it – each voice, each ballot cast, does matter. It matters to the candidates. It matters to the voters in Adams County and Mississippi. And it matters to each and every person who is governed in this community.

So get out and vote today. Polls open at 7 a.m. and remain open until 7 p.m. It only takes a few minutes to cast your ballot, but it’s time well-spent.

And, as the Rev. Jackson pointed out, it’s a matter of dignity.