Tonight, Iowans across the state are going to gather in schools, homes, community centers and the like for the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. The mood in Iowa right now is electric. All of the candidates have been staked out here for the past few weeks, and now they’re campaigning harder than ever to gain every vote possible before voting begins tonight. Everybody who’s anybody in the worlds of press and politics is camped out in Des Moines. Today, the Des Moines Register is getting about as much attention as the New York Times or the Washington Post. Today, if you’re in Iowa, you’re being bombarded with phone calls and emails from campaigns begging for your support. Today, the entire nation is watching Iowa.

This is something I’ve talked about in length before, but I can’t stress how important it is for Iowans to get out and caucus tonight. I know it’s a Monday. I know there’s a blizzard coming. I know everyone’s sick of all the campaigning. But tonight is our chance to lead the nation in beginning to choose our next commander-in-chief. It’s our chance to participate in democracy and make our voices heard. This is an opportunity that only comes around every four years, and is only available to Iowans. We are uniquely privileged with this critical role in the presidential election.

Maybe you don’t know who you’re voting for. That’s okay. One of the main purposes of the caucuses is for supporters to convince undecided voters to choose their candidates. Maybe you don’t like politics, and the whole thing just sounds unappealing to you. The caucuses generally don’t last longer than an hour. It’s not a huge time commitment, it’s not difficult, and it’s absolutely worth it. Maybe the weather is keeping you from leaving home. Come on, we’re Iowans, since when are we afraid of a little snow? Maybe you don’t know where your precinct location is. Good news, it’s super easy to find, just click here. Whatever hang-ups or worries you might have, set them aside. Embrace the opportunity you have as an Iowan to shape the course of our nation’s future.

Iowa, today is the day. Let’s get out there and make our voices heard.