Please make an effort today to go vote.

No matter what your political affiliation, voting in Louisiana’s presidential primary is important because, as you know, this race is far from over. This has not always been the case. Louisiana’s primary comes after Super Tuesday and after Iowa and New Hampshire, all of which have traditionally given us the presumptive presidential nominees.

But not this year. Right now, both Democrat and Republican party picks are still split, and both parties include challengers who have vowed to stay in the race until the conventions in late July. In addition, Louisiana awards delegates to candidates proportional to their vote tallies, meaning your vote should count for something even if your pick doesn’t win.

In simpler terms: This primary election is a fight for individual delegates and though Louisiana is still a minor state with a handful of delegates — each one will count. Moreover, with a handful of still-viable candidates in the Republican contest, a No. 2 spot could be considered, if not a win, certainly better than a loss.

In order to vote, all a registered voter needs is a photo ID, which can be almost anything. Even without a photo ID, a registered voter may still vote through the affidavit process.

If you have not registered to vote, please take a minute Monday and stop by the parish clerk’s office and sign up to vote. While some elections may mean more than others, this primary election proves that sometimes even big national elections can hinge on individual ballots in traditionally minor primaries. Just because you missed this election does not mean you have to miss the general election in November.

Even if your man or woman doesn’t win, you can at least say you gave the candidate your support.