This has been a bruising, divisive election. From the start, the rhetoric has been apocalyptic, the mudslinging petty and childish, and the provocations endless.

For those with news alerts turned on, it is impossible not to feel cynical about the state of politics in 2024 — much less our country. But with election day on Tuesday, now is the time for us citizens to rise above the rancor of national politics, to set aside our grievances, to be good neighbors and to prioritize the well-being of our communities.

This starts by casting a ballot. But it continues after the polls close on Tuesday. No matter who wins, it will be our collective responsibility to attempt to repair the rifts this election has caused — because that is what it means to be a democracy and to accept the results of the will of the people and to participate in a peaceful transfer of power. Once the votes are counted, all we can do is look forward — and try to overcome the ugliness of this campaign.

Because national politics has never been so ugly.

Last week, former President Donald Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York that had uncanny echoes of a historic Nazi rally in the same venue. Trump’s opening act “comedian” called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” made disparaging remarks about the birth rates of Hispanics and said he “carved watermelons” with his Black friends.

The rest of the night was no better.

It’s hard to claim that was any sort of low point for the former president, but it was followed by one from current President Joe Biden, who flubbed a response about the rally and appeared to call Trump’s supporters “garbage.”

(Vice President Kamala Harris has distanced herself from Biden’s comment, but it still encapsulates the tenor of our country.)

It may be hard to equate these two occurrences, but they do encapsulate the animosity that is currently dividing our nation. At times, it feels less like we have two political parties and more like we have two competing realities.

Across the country, bad faith politics are inflaming fears and manifesting contemptible real-world consequences. Worse still, a huge percentage of our population is now afraid of post-election violence. According to a new poll, roughly 40% of registered voters are “extremely” concerned about violent attempts to overthrow the results.

There is a sense that America is approaching a Rubicon. That we are hurtling toward an irreparable rift. That our competing realities are no longer compatible.

It is our responsibility as citizens to rise above the divisiveness.

Our country may be at an inflection point. Things may need to change. People may be angry and distrustful and hurt. But we must remember that the solution to these problems is not division. It is not animosity. It is policy and good governance and a collective faith in the American experiment.

And while these things are embodied and carried out by politicians, these politicians are elected by us, through our individual votes.

So the first thing we must do is vote.

The Camera’s Editorial Board has made a bevy of endorsements that we hope will help guide voters in shaping a bright future for Boulder and Colorado. But what is even more important than our perspective on these issues, is that everyone who is eligible — no matter if you agree or disagree with us — gets out and votes.

Free and fair elections are the backbone of our democracy. To have a government of the people, by the people and for the people, we must have fair and representative elections, which require a plurality of participation.

Once we vote, we must remember that we live in a democracy. That we are one of many and that occasionally our party is going to lose. If that happens, we must be willing to acknowledge that sometimes we are in the minority and that our fellow citizens want a different direction for our community or our state or our country.

At the youngest level of sports, we teach children to shake hands with their opponents after every game, even when they lose. We, as adults, must be willing to do the same thing.

This, of course, is not a call to blindly accept anything. A healthy dose of skepticism is important, especially when it comes to the actions of a government.

But the reality is that while claims of voter fraud have become extremely common, voter fraud itself is extremely rare.

By one measure, the rate of voter fraud is less than 0.0001%.

It is also not a call to passively accept the destruction of our country — something roughly 80% of both parties think the other party will do. We should, though, remember that America is a democracy. For more than two centuries, we have chosen peaceful transitions of power — even when we feared the worst. We must once again put our faith in our institutions and trust that the checks and balances created by our Founders can continue to hold our country together.

Beyond that, we must remember that citizens always have power — at the polls, in protest and in educating the next generation to be civically engaged so they can continue fighting the battles of progress.

These times might be stressful and uncertain, but our democracy has weathered storms before. Our country has made mistakes. We have gone in the wrong direction. But in the end, we have always managed to right the ship and carry on toward a brighter future for everyone — even if that progress is slow and frustratingly nonlinear.

What’s important today is that we do not give up hope. Vote by Nov. 5. And stay engaged and informed and hopeful on Nov. 6. And the day after that. And the day after that.

— Gary Garrison for the Editorial Board