You may find it hard to work up much of an interest in voting today. In fact, voter registrars around the commonwealth are predicting a low voter turnout this election, with fewer than 40 percent of registered voters expected to show up to cast their votes.

Three poor candidates for governor, two of whom have done everything in their power to turn voters off to the process during the past six months or so of campaigning, have helped ensure an electorate that is tired of the election and disenchanted with its choices long before the polls opened today.

The local election has hardly been more enticing, with mud-slinging by proxy dominating the comments section of news websites and the letters section of this newspaper and others.

Most folks by now just want it all to be over. However the candidates might feel coming into today’s election, voters are feeling bruised and battered — and maybe even a little bit dirtied by the whole foul process of this election cycle.

But elections have consequences, whether at the local level for sheriff or at the state level for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. And citizens have a sacred duty — albeit one that’s easily shirked — to show up and participate.

We hope you will do so, no matter how distasteful the whole thing might seem to the average Virginian this year.

The polls open today at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Be sure to bring along identification — you can use a voter registration card; a Virginia driver’s license; any federal, Virginia state or local government-issued ID, including military ID, with your photo or your name and address on it; or an employer-issued identification card. If you don’t take an ID along, or if your registration status cannot be verified, you can cast a provisional ballot.

This might be the election you’d like to forget. But don’t forget to vote. No matter who gets it, your vote counts.