Our democracy works best when its citizens are fully engaged in the process. Our democracy fails when too many sit back and wait for "the other guy" to get involved.

Let's look at some vital statistics for McHenry County, Illinois

• Population: 308,000
• Citizens of legal voting age: 225,000
• Registered voters: 197,000
• 2008 election turnout: 124,000
• 2010 election turnout: 84,000

Working out the math, only about 37% of those eligible to vote did so in 2010. So why do so few people participate in the most fundamental activity in our democracy? Are our lives so busy that voting has become an impossible burden? Is our electoral system of government so broken that apathy and anger have overwhelmed the sense of civic duty?

More importantly, how can we do better? What can we do to re-engage our citizens in the sacred responsibility to self-govern?

Your thoughts are welcome.