The U.S. Constitution requires that representatives and senators be elected by “we the people.” States may tack on other voter requirements as they see fit, provided they don’t conflict with the Constitution.

Other than that, American citizens get what they vote for. If they choose not to participate in the election process, they get what others vote for and should not carp about the election results.

Tuesday was Alabama’s time to participate in the primary process. According to the unofficial results posted Wednesday on AlabamaVotes.gov, voter turnout in Baldwin County was 35.61 percent of the 106,768 registered voters. Looking at it another way, 38,017 ballots were cast.

In the days ahead, 64.39 percent of Baldwin’s registered voters can’t legitimately complain about the primary outcome because they chose to ignore the ballot box.

So when you hear complaints, the first thing you should do is look them in the eye and ask, “Did you vote?” If the answer is affirmative, then by all means, the two of you can wail away. However, if the answer is “No,” tell them to zip it. They had their chance and chose not to participate. However, if they would like to redeem themselves, they can participate in the primary runoff scheduled for April 24.

Voting is both a right and the right thing to do.