Alexis de Tocqueville once fondly said that in a democracy, “we get the government we deserve.” His belief that a free market enterprise was needed for his French compatriots was a focal point behind his piece “Democracy in America”, written in 1835.

However, we can also deserve a bad government if we refuse to voice our opinions through voting.

As the school year moves into full swing, a familiar series of ads are beginning to permeate through the airwaves; ads that make promises of policy while using vituperative language to slander opponents.

It’s election season. And, as with every election season, it is a bore. However, the elections are incredibly important, as North Penn High School US Government teacher Sam Brumbaugh stresses within his classes.

“It is a problem; people do not pay very much attention [to local politics], and no one knows what is going on in their own community,” said Brumbaugh. “Because we have a small minority that goes out and votes, it can overshadow the opinion of the majority.”

Mike Trail, a senior at North Penn, also feels very strongly about the importance of the elections. “We are given the right to vote and it is our responsibility to do so. If people complain about the government but didn’t vote, they can only blame themselves,” Trail said.

However, it is a concern that the message is lost not just among the student body, but also the public in general.

Governor Corbett’s plummeting approval rating has been a top story heading into election season this year. According to the Public Policy Polling firm, which tracks approval ratings of governors across the country against rival candidates, Governor Corbett is trailing Democratic nominee Tom Wolf by an insurmountable margin of 30% to 55%. It’s become clear that support for the current Governor is dwindling with each passing day.

For all the negativity that Corbett has garnered the last few years, however, not many of the state’s registered voters were up to the task during his election in 2010. During the zenith of the election, the total population of registered voters was roughly 8.5 million. However, only around 4 million cast their vote in the election. It took only 26% percent of the total voting-age body to make Mr. Corbett the governor. It’s easy to belittle a man one had no part in putting in office.

Perhaps the best thing we can do as a society is recognize the importance of these elections as we come of voting age. North Penn senior Kelci Beatty has come to the realization that the voice of young voters is important.

“Since the local elections are not as widely broadcast and shown as national ones, I guess they are lost in the shuffle. But, with that said, local politics are really important and I realize I should pay more attention because it has more immediate effects on me and my community.”

In order to participate in this year’s general election, a first time voter must register by October 6th. Eligible voters can find necessary registration information at http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt/community/home/13514. This year’s general election is Tuesday, November 4th.