It’s unfortunate that even in the midst of major policy changes, the average California voter seems less informed and motivated than ever before.

Despite the passing of Propositions 1, 2, and 47 in Tuesday’s election, voter turn out was dismally low, with only 23 percent of LA county voters taking the time to make their voices heard.

The low turnout isn’t surprising in light of the atmosphere of the election. Gov. Jerry Brown, who beat out Republican candidate Neel Kashkari, was so confidant of his victory that he didn’t even bother to do more than the most perfunctory advertisement for his campaign.

However, while the low turnout is understandable, it’s definitely not desirable. After this election, there’s been a major power shift in the National Senate, California has made itself the leading edge in sentencing reform, and more than $7 billion is being devoted to the state’s water supply infrastructure.

With such dramatic changes, it’s more important than ever that voters have an understanding of the political landscape.

For instance, while penalties for crimes in California were sorely in need of changes, the phrasing of Proposition 47 could have some unintended consequences. One example is that the penalty for many thefts were previously based upon what was stolen. Under Proposition 47, any theft of less than $950 is now a misdemeanor.

Unfortunately, the average price of a hand gun is around $500. With the changes under Proposition 47, anyone stealing such an inexpensive firearm faces a maximum penalty of a year in prison.

Likewise, the changes to the penalties for drug possession are uniform as well. While most people would agree that merely possessing small amounts of drugs such as cocaine and heroine don’t warrant stuffing California prisons to the gills, some might not realize that date rape drugs now fall under the same category.

While Proposition 47 is likely to ultimately do more good than harm for California, it’s minor details such as these that are absolutely vital for people to be aware of.

As citizens of a democracy, we have both the duty and privilege of guiding our government’s decisions. While it may seem tedious to constantly keep abreast of politics, such efforts are our first and greatest defense against tyranny and corruption. In many places throughout the world, people are denied this right that we often regard as a chore.

Even now, large portions of mainland China remain unaware of the massive protests that swept through Hong Kong months ago due to near total censorship. In Iraq, an oppressive theocracy rules through violence and intimidation, and makes no secret of it’s goal of violent expansion.

Compared to situations such as these, a little boredom seems a small price to pay to protect the rights that our forefathers struggled so hard to earn and maintain.

If we aren’t willing to take the time to even go out and vote, do we really deserve that privlege?