It can seem that every general election is labelled "the most important in a generation," but today's does feel as if it really deserves that build-up.

And after six weeks of campaigning around the country, my personal view is that now everyone on the electoral roll really does have a responsibility to take part in the general election.

For most people most of the time politics is a spectator sport. You might show your political allegiance by joining a party - or even volunteering to knock on doors to get people to support it.

But ultimately the only time you can really influence what happens to the country is by voting in elections.

It's called democracy - and it's the best way we all have of ensuring that we really live in a free society.

But for democracy to work, as many people as possible need to participate in the basic function of casting a vote at election time - and frankly a stroll to the polling station or filling in a postal vote form isn't exactly the most onerous task you can expect to have to complete!

Frankly those who don't bother to vote, for whatever reason, really forfeit their right to complain and criticise if the government does something to displease them.

And don't give me the argument that "all politicians are the same". It's simply not true and usually used as a lazy excuse to try to justify a lazy mentality.

Look at the policies of Reform UK and The Green Party? Does anyone really think they're the same? 

It might be possible to argue that anyone who does think they're the same is too stupid to vote - but that's really another matter!

If the predictions we've heard and seen over the last six weeks really do come true over the next 24 hours then this truly is a general election that will go down in history.

It will be up there with 2010, 1997, 1979, 1964 and 1945 in that it will change the political narrative of the country.

My real hope is that enough people will have turned out and voted for the whole country to feel it has participated in what we could look back at in future as a watershed general election.

The campaigns by all the parties in this election have been intense - although some have been more effective than others.

One of the things I shall be studying, though, is exactly how the actual results differ from the average polls at the start of the campaign.

That will give some idea of how effective the campaigns of all the parties have been.

But that's all for later. Today's priority has to be for people to get out to vote - whether you're interested in politics or not.

Some will be up through the night keeping an eye on what is happening in the election. Some will be keen to find out what has happened first thing tomorrow morning. And some will be switching off the TV until Wimbledon coverage starts a lunchtime!

But just remember next time you complain about the waiting list for a hospital appointment, the next time you swear about the amount of tax you pay, the next time you grumble about the number of potholes . . . this was your chance to have a say on who makes the decision to deal with those issues.

And if you haven't voted then you can really blame no one but yourself! So at some time today pick up your passport or your driving licence or whatever ID card you have and get out and vote - and show that you really do feel a connection to the future of this country.

The opinions expressed in this column are the personal views of Paul Geater and do not necessarily reflect views held by this newspaper, its sister publications or its owner and publisher Newsquest Media Group Ltd.