It's time to stop talking and start voting in the special election to fill that vacant 161st District Pa. House seat.
And that likely will be the deciding factor in this hotly contested, three-way race.
Just how many people will actually get to the polls?
Will write-in conservative Lisa Esler siphon off enough votes from Paul Mullen to possibly open the door for a win by Democrat Leanne Krueger-Braneky.
Turnout in off-year elections is almost always dismal. So what can we expect in a mid-summer special election for a House seat.
The guess here is that people will stay away in droves.
But there is the X-factor in this race. And that is Lisa Esler. The popular Penn-Delco School Board member has put a jolt into this race, and put a major fear factor into Paul Mullen and the Republicans.
And now for a confession.
As anyone who has been watching this race know, there has been a lot of talk about candidate forums, who showed up - and who didn't - and why.
The League of Women Voters actually cancelled their forum when the endorsed Republican, Mullen, said they changed the date and he could not accommodate them on his schedule.
Then a group called Delco Debates set up a forum for all three candidates on Sunday. Again Mullen was a no-show.
I joked about what would happen if they held an election - let alone a candidate forum - and nobody showed.
Well the joke may have been on me.
What if they held a candidate forum, and Mullen was not the only one who did not show up?
That other party would be us.
Yes, the Daily Times missed the forum. We had a scheduling mixup and we missed it. It's my fault and I will take the hit for it. Never should have happened. Actually, our photographer did get to the event, but our reporter did not.
I wish that was not the case.
Actually, what I really wish is that this election were not being held today. I wish ex-Republican state Rep. Joe Hackett had realized his heart was not in Harrisburg earlier - like last fall - and had stepped aside then.
Instead it's likely a miniscule number of people will be deciding this race.
My suggestion to those in the 161st: Make sure your voice is heard.
Vote today.
Endorsed Republican Paul Mullen is facing Democrat Leanne Krueger-Braneky, with write-in candidate Lisa Esler providing some much-needed spice to the race.
Krueger-Braneky lost to Hackett last November.
Mullen is a longtime labor leader whose past support for Democrats infuriated some in the local GOP and spawned the write-in challenge from Esler.
It should be a fun day.
Check back tonight as reporter Kristina Scala will be the first with the results.
Then again, depending on just how close this race is and how many write-votes and absentee ballots there are, there is a chance we might now know tonight.
Stay tuned.
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