Today is primary day across Maine and, in many towns, there are also elections to validate budgets, votes to approve school and road bonds, votes on local ordinances and to elect local elected officials, and, of course, there are four contested local primaries. Democrats in Cumberland County will choose a sheriff; Brunswick Democrats will decide on a candidate for House District 50; Bowdoinham, Bowdoin, and Richmond Republicans will choose a candidate for House District 55; and Topsham Republicans will pick their candidate for House District 54.

And in some of our towns, notably Lisbon and Lisbon Falls, Republicans and Democrats will choose their candidate to run for the seat being vacated by Mike Michaud in the Second Congressional District.

And it is very likely that these important decisions will be made by a tiny minority of voters.

Secretary of State Matt Dunlap is estimating that about 13-15 percent of eligible voters — which in Maine will include a host of new high school graduates, even if they are 17 years old — will turn out to vote, including those who already voted absentee.

There is a word for a political system in which 13 percent of the population makes decisions for the other 87 percent, and that word is not democracy, or republic.

It is oligarchy.

In most countries with an oligarchy, the minority who rules is distinguished by royalty or wealth; in the U.S., it is unfortunately distinguished by the apathy of the majority.

What happens when only the true believers show up to vote in the primary is that the winning candidate tends to be from the more left- or right- wing of the party. When this happens in town after town, district after district, state after state, election after election, the body that ultimately makes decisions, whether it is the State House or the Congress, tends to become more and more polarized.

When that happens, we have what we have now — political gridlock, the inability of lawmakers to work across the aisle and the people’s business not getting done.

Last fall’s federal government shutdown was an object lesson in what can happen when the government is so polarized that the people’s business is ignored in partisan political fights. There is only one cure for that kind of behavior, and it happens at the ballot box during primary season.

But not only are primaries important, local ordinances and public official elections, approval of bonds, and other items are on your local ballots. If you want to register your opinion on these issues, this is the time.

Democracy is not a spectator sport, and the political future will be determined by those who show up.

Voting only takes a few minutes and polls are open after work hours, so please do take a moment and exercise your franchise.

Especially, let us encourage our 17- year- olds who are eligible to vote in primaries to do so; it’s a good habit to begin early.

So, whether it’s raining or a beautiful day better spent at the beach, take a couple of minutes and please go out and vote.