A recent conversation with a very capable and very frustrated legislator left me feeling a bit depressed. No, he isn't up for election this time, but he worries about how the next legislative session will go. The reason is as common as it is concerning: Less than 20 percent of his constituency will actually vote today, with a lot at stake. Worse, voter participation nationwide just keeps declining, and no, not just among the young.

American society has no shortage of political opinion, if increasingly public and emotional tirades are any indication. We have it so much better than the vast majority of other countries in one very important respect: We can vote freely according to our consciences. Many throughout history sacrificed to make it so.

Yet apathy, or perhaps lethargy, pervades. Patriotism doesn't always show on election day.

While I hate stereotypes and group-think perspectives, statistics can provide food for thought. At the voting booth, numbers mean influence. Not all groups fit such a disinterested image, and while some statistics (from the Census Bureau, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Pew Research Service) seem predictable, others may surprise.

Predictable patterns show the middle aged and seniors are the highest voter participation groups. More people with advanced college degrees vote than do Bachelors-only, both categories more than high school-only, and all more than dropouts. The richer one is, the more likely to vote.

But how about these: American voter turnout is consistently lower than that of other wealthy countries. Immigrant citizens and their first-generation children are more likely to vote than multi-generation native citizens. Muslim-Americans are almost twice as likely to vote in midterm elections than are Christian-Americans. Speaking of religion, Muslims, Jews, and Catholics are more likely to vote Democrat; Protestant, Mormon and Evangelical Christians, Republican.

Yet with all of these in mind, fewer than half of Americans vote at all. Immigration, religion, and the widening of the rich-poor income gap are just a few examples of political hot-buttons, so you'd think that would motivate all sides of these debates to do what they can, starting with the ballot.

Whatever your motivations and interests, those in public office affect our lives and generally work hard at it. As my legislator friend intimated, it is harder to do his job when his constituents are apathetic. Please vote today. It doesn't take long and polls are open until 8 p.m.

Not registered? No problem. Take a recent utility bill and driver's license and they'll set you up in two minutes. Don't know the candidates or where to vote? Try VoteSmart.org (scroll down for state and local candidates), the links provided by League of Women Voters http://LWV-KC.org, and Cdapress.com for written and video profiles.

Sholeh Patrick, J. D. is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Sholeh@cdapress.com.