The only poll that counts in the 2002 general election is the one that is taken today.

Kansas University basketball coach Roy Williams hates polls. He says he never looks at where his team is ranked and when someone else tells him about a poll he’ll say he doesn’t care.

This could be why Roy Williams probably would never run for public office.

But in both basketball and election campaigns there’s only one poll that counts and that’s the score at the end of the game.

For the 2002 general election, which will select a new Kansas governor and other key officials, that poll takes place today. Every voter is a player.

A number of polls taken before the election have produced various results. Those results haven’t been all that consistent from poll to poll and it’s difficult to know what to make of the results. All of the polls have shows Democrat Kathleen Sebelius ahead of Republican Tim Shallenburger in the governor’s race, but what was a double-digit margin in polls two or three weeks ago was down to seven percentage points in the World Company poll last week.

Several other tight races will be decided in Kansas today. Democrat Chris Biggs has gained on Republican Phill Kline in the attorney general’s race. The 3rd District congressional race between Republican Adam Taff and incumbent Democrat Dennis Moore also is expected to be a close contest. Reconfigured legislative districts also have thrown some House seats into question, including some in the Lawrence area.

Over the weekend, many candidates were pointing to voter turnout as a key factor in whether they would win or lose. This year, more than many years, every vote counts.

Congratulations to the political party organizations for working to get their voters to the polls. The Journal-World and projects like Kids Voting also are trying to boost interest in today’s election.

Some Journal-World readers were kind enough to share some of their thoughts about the value of voting in Sunday’s Journal-World. They talked about civic duty and being part of the process, but perhaps the most poignant answers to our “Why vote?” question came from those who had experience with not being able to vote: a grandfather from Croatia or black residents of South Florida who knew what it’s like not to be able to vote.

Newspapers, candidates and party organizations can do their best to urge voters to participate in today’s election, but only the voters can do the job. Only those of you who have done your advanced voting or who go to the polls to cast your ballot today will count.

Forget the polls. The game is being played today and everyone who votes is a winner.