No matter what one’s political leaning, pretty much everyone could agree that Tuesday’s election was a critical one for the future of our country.

Turnout was expected to be brisk, and it was indeed in Suffolk. More than 60 percent of Suffolk’s 58,528 active voters cast a ballot in the race for U.S. Senate, despite some dreary weather that set in with a few hours to go at the polls. Reaction to the turnout was that of pleasant surprise from folks who discussed it throughout the day.

Whether driven by their desire to see a blue wave or a red wave, or perhaps drawn to the polls by local races important for our City Council and School Board, Suffolk voters certainly came out to make their voice heard on Tuesday.

Much has been said of the importance of voting, and it’s not hard to convince most folks to take a few moments out of their day to cast their ballots. But we believe that as time goes on, more Americans are awakening to the fact that they really can make a difference with their votes. It’s not just a platitude, not even in the big national elections and definitely not on the local scale, where individual votes are more likely to sway a seat on the City Council or School Board.

We couldn’t be happier to see the strong turnout. While 100 percent would always be ideal, we will take what we can get.

We hope to see more of this type of turnout in the future. What is truly important is that Suffolk citizens and Americans from all over are informed on all of the candidates and the issues, that they turn out to the polls and that they vote on what they feel is best for their locality, their state and their country.