There's a lot at stake: the Supreme Court (up to four justices may retire), the defense of marriage, and taxpayer money for medical research that kills. Father Frank Pavone at Priests for Life warns about these voter traps to avoid.

1. One vote is meaningless.

This “I won't vote” trap overlooks the lessons of history that show how elections can be decided by a single vote or by a handful of votes. Can we forget the ordeal of the 2000 presidential election? Less well known, perhaps, are these facts:

A shift of less than one vote per precinct in a handful of states would have defeated Woodrow Wilson in 1916. A few votes per precinct in Illinois and a couple of other states would have meant no President John F. Kennedy in 1960.

In 1974, Congressman Louis Wyman was declared the victor in the U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire after a recount — by just two votes. If only a few additional people in each precinct in Ohio had voted differently in the 1976 presidential election, Ford would have beat Carter. The governor of Ohio back then won by a margin of one vote per precinct.

Your one vote counts. Use it wisely.

2. They're all bums!

This is the trap of looking for the non-existent perfect candidate. But your vote is not to canonize the candidate; it is to give him or her temporary power to do some limited good. If both choices look evil, try to see how one may be better than the other. This is not “choosing the lesser evil.” Rather, it is choosing to limit evil, and that choice is a good.

3. I can't be a single-issue voter!

First of all, most people are. It is a “single issue” that usually motivates a person to rally around the candidate who supports that issue. But if you don't want to be a “single-issue” voter, at least you can be an intelligent one and realize how the many issues are related. At the foundation of them all is the right to life; without it, no others are possible. If a politician can't respect the rights of a little baby, how is she supposed to respect yours?

4. The election doesn't matter. “We can't put our trust in worldly power. Those we elect whom we think are on our side disappoint us, anyway.” Well, no, we don't put our trust in earthly power and government, but in the Lord. But we are responsible for doing all we can to influence our world for the good — this actually shows our trust in the Lord.

5. I'll show them!

Sometimes individuals or groups vote reactively. A candidate, or a party, did them wrong, and so they want to teach them a lesson by voting vindictively. This may help to vent a personal frustration, but who suffers in the process? It would be far better to go to the gym and take out your anger on a punching bag, or go into a field and yell. But those you elect to public office will influence a lot of people — born and unborn — for a long time. Look beyond your personal problems or agendas.

6. I'll go later …

Vote first thing in the morning. If you delay going to vote until later in the day, you increase the chances that you will be distracted or hindered by some problem that arises unexpectedly. You may also become busier than you anticipated and might forget. The rule is: the earlier, the better.

7. Other voters, at least, aren't my responsibility.

True, they're not. But if you are concerned about the future of the country, why not promote the vote? Here are some suggestions:

Offer rides. Maybe you know a pro-lifer who needs a ride to the polls. Parishes or pro-life groups can organize car pools or vans to accomplish this. Perhaps someone needs assistance to watch their children. You can baby-sit, or even organize a service for a group of parents.

Email and call. Remind pro-life friends that it's voting day.

8. Overconfidence or dejection.

If the election goes the way you want, do not become overconfident or lazy. Work harder than ever to encourage and assist those whom you helped elect.

If it does not go the way you want, set your energies on challenging those who were elected to govern in a way that follows the moral law.

In any case: Pray! Pope John Paul II has called urgently and insistently for daily rosaries for peace and for the family. All Souls Day — Nov. 2 — would be a great day to start.