Today we urge you to vote.

Tomorrow, the entire country needs to collectively take a deep breath.

Of course, we are assuming that what we do today will be played out by tomorrow. Despite what is expected to be the largest vote in American political history, we can only hope that all votes are counted and all votes count, that a winner is declared and that, after a long and tumultuous campaign, the country is finally able to focus on the crucial issues it faces.

However, first things first.

American political history will be made today. Each and every qualified voter needs to make sure they are a part of it.

While we are part of the media that brought you this record-setting campaign — in both duration and cost — we, like most of you, are ready for it to end. It has been hard to have a life outside of the campaign, starting with the primary run up last winter and continuing through the mind-numbing commercial blitz of these final weeks.

This campaign has featured a perfect storm of political circumstances. Its components have ranged from the variety of the candidates themselves, who have given us ethnic, religious, gender and even racial issues to debate and discuss, to a war that dominated the early rhetoric, only to give way to a pounding economic crisis. Add almost unimaginable campaign spending, new technology and, of course, the showmanship of two major party conventions and we have the makings of an election for the ages.

In the end, though, it all comes down to us … each of us, casting our single ballot.

They do make a difference. The last two elections have erased any doubt we may have had about the value of one person's vote.

So, today, take your role seriously and make your mark on our country's biggest decision.

Then, tomorrow, God willing, we will have a president-elect and we can refocus. We will need to take that deep breath, because this has been a marathon. It has been an emotional experience. We need to let those emotions settle, so we can provide our new leaders with reasoned and sound input.

They have said they will listen. To test that campaign pledge we must be rational and coherent, states not easily maintained at the end of a long and emotional election cycle.