As a Pennsylvania Democrat, my wife will actually be able to see the difference her vote makes after the polls close tomorrow.

Although that prospect is exciting, she was nonetheless disgusted this weekend by the number of high-gloss mailers she received from the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns. She was disappointed, she said, because these allegedly pro-environment candidates had used paper that is difficult -- if not impossible -- to recycle (most paper mills will reject mailers like this because of their clay-based gloss coatings).

It didn't change her mind about voting, though. She is still committed to making her voice heard by casting a ballot for Hillary Clinton. For that opportunity, she can thank the Pennsylvania state legislature.

Until this year, Pennsylvania voters were irrelevant to national campaigns because the state's primaries were usually an afterthought or a formality. By the time our mid- to late-May elections rolled around, the real decision making had already been done. Since 2003, Pennsylvania's most visible political pundit, G. Terry Madonna of the Center for Politics & Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College, had been suggesting state government move up the primary date.

In 2005, Madonna reiterated his concern:

Pennsylvania’s role in the selection of presidential candidates has been in long and steady decline. Not since 1976 has Pennsylvania voted in time to influence substantially nominees of either party. In the last several elections it has only become worse, as state after state has “front loaded” their primary date.

Eventually the Pennsylvania General Assembly chose to act. Last year (after the May 15 primary) the commonwealth's legislators took a cautious, conservative step and moved the primary up three weeks, from the third Tuesday in May to the fourth Tuesday in April.

Public approval of that decision has been swift and overwhelming. The new primary date has made Pennsylvania relevant again, elevating its status -- in this election at least -- to perhaps the most important state in the Democratic primary process so far. A high turnout tomorrow could determine whether elected state officials consider similar changes in the future.

There is an electricity in the air that hasn't been felt in years, and even Republicans are thankful for the attention. Former GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney made headlines as he moved through the state, stumping for John McCain and denying all but a smallest possibility that the presumptive Republican nominee will pick him as a running-mate. Romney's "tour of endorsement," as I believe he called it, was responsible for snagging the lead story in many Pennsylvania newspapers and for a few brief moments, diverted attention away from the Democratic election.

But it is the Democratic election which is dominating headlines and fueling the excitement. With reams of unrecyclable paper being printed for mailers, tireless and unrelenting phone banks disseminating messages day and night and television, newspaper and radio stations eternally blaring ads, it's no wonder Pennsylvania is giddy. It's hard to even sleep. The millions being waged on this election are being seen and heard everywhere. Door-to-door volunteers are waking people at ungodly hours of the morning to recruit voters and there are pro-Hillary, pro-Obama and even pro-McCain supporters on street corners and outside grocery stores. Even Ron Paul has a spatter of supporters and signs around Pennsylvania (especially in conservative Lancaster County).

There is no doubt that whomever wins the Pennsylvania primary will receive a huge boost heading into the elections in Indiana and North Carolina, but the real winner of tomorrow's primary will not be the candidate with the greater number of votes. The real winner will be the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which will feel the momentum of this election for months. True, the moment may be fleeting; after all, feuds like the one we're witnessing between Clinton and Obama are extremely rare. But unlike previous presidential primaries the one tomorrow will show the nation that the Keystone State is no longer irrelevant.

So soak it up, Pennsylvania. This is your time to shine.