Election day is nearly upon us, and if you’re like me, you’re probably procrastinating until the last day to get your ballot turned in.

Every election, newspapers and election officials implore the public to vote. There are many good reasons to do so: It keeps our leaders in check, promotes a vibrant political dialogue and is the main way most of us take political action every year.

Your decision to vote is a declaration of what kind of a city, county, state or country you want to live in. It’s a cherished right in our democracy — and rights, like muscles, get stronger when used regularly.

And although voting is how the masses express what they want, your individual vote counts in a literal sense, too. It can make-or-break an election. I’ve covered races in cities where the margins were in the single digits, including a 2019 police levy lid lift in the small southwest Washington town of Woodland that passed by literally one vote; I heard that here in Enumclaw, a school bond only passed by four votes in 2015.

But I don’t think those reasons, while important, are all that convincing for the non-voters among us. Some will say elections don’t matter or that they don’t care who or what wins. And besides, what’s in it for me?

Well, call it selfishness or call it “enlightened self-interest,” but I think you should also vote because it makes you a better, smarter person.

If you’re really being thoughtful about it, filling out your ballot requires you to research each candidate and measure. You’ll Google names, talk to friends, read news articles, and maybe even look up who’s paying for candidates’ campaigns. (Visit pdc.wa.gov to learn more about the latter.)

As someone who does this sort of thing for a living, I can say the insight you’ll gain is very valuable.

You’ll be better prepared for the laws your legislators pass, the decisions your governor makes, and the rulings your judges pass down. You won’t be blindsided by tax levies. You’ll start to know which industries are getting subsidies and which are getting regulated, what’s going to be legal in a year and what won’t be.

This knowledge isn’t just valuable in a theoretical way. It can actually help you run a business and manage your personal finances. As a by-product of voting, you will gain clairvoyance into future political or legal events which will leave others flat-footed.

You will also be a better civic participant, more in tune with your community, and situated to be a leader among your friends and neighbors when it comes time to march, organize and protest about the things that really matter.

And once you’ve done all that research — which is the time-consuming part — you’ll probably have developed a few strong opinions on who should or shouldn’t win. So why not take another five minutes to fill out and return the ballot?

If you finish by Friday, you can even drop it off in your mailbox — no stamp required. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, so if you dally until Nov. 8 like me, you’re probably better off bringing your ballot to a drop box.

There are many important races on your ballot this election, and I hope you fill them out because it’s part of our civic duty — it’s the right thing to do.

But if you still need a little convincing, just remember the old proverb: “Knowledge is power.”