Woody Allen is attributed with the saying that "90 percent of of life is just showing up." Actually, the actual percentage he cited is somewhere between 75 and 90 percent, according to what source you access on the internet.

Details aside, reliably showing up is an integral part of our relationship to others and is key to being an engaged, responsible citizen and human being

I believe this to be true, especially when it comes to voting. (For more about the importance of local elections, check out  this editorial.)

On a slightly different and related subject: With new postal regulations in effect, the service routes have changed and mail is now routinely slowed down, adding multiple days to when a piece of mail is postmarked. This is something to remember when you are mailing property taxes and absentee ballots.

Case in point: Mail put into the postal system in Narrowsburg used to go directly to the Newburgh distribution center at the end of the day. Now, at the end of the day, the mail is trucked to Callicoon, where it sits until the morning to begin its journey to the regional distribution center. From there, it is trucked to Albany. 

Therefore, if you are mailing your taxes or your absentee ballot, it is a good idea to go into your local post office and ask that the mail piece be postmarked locally. That way, you know that your taxes will be credited in a timely fashion and your absentee ballot will be counted.