Voting is among the most sacred rights an adult U.S. citizen can exercise. In Tuesday's election, it's more important than ever to understand all of your rights before heading to your polling place. Never allow anyone to intimidate you or in any way block your access to the polling station.

Rarely before in U.S. history has a presidential candidate questioned the integrity of the voting system before the election was held. GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has called on his supporters to consider vigilante action as self-appointed poll watchers. These vigilantes have no authority whatsoever to interfere with voters exercising their rights.

Know this: No one outside the polling station has authority to block voter access, demand identification or documentation, or challenge voters in any way. You do not have to talk to these people or engage with them in any form.

Within the polling station boundaries, if someone questions your right to vote, demands to know how you plan to vote or tries to influence your decision, notify police or election authorities inside the polling place immediately. Those people can be fined or even sent to prison for violating state election law. You don't need a government-issued photo ID, at least not this year.

Missouri law allows political parties to appoint official challengers, who have authority to be present where voting occurs. They and the election judges are the only people legally authorized to question activities within the polling station. Even then, party challengers are not allowed to directly confront or engage with voters.

No electioneering, exit polling, sign-posting or other related activities may occur within 25 feet of a polling place on Election Day.

Much national attention has been focused on St. Louis recently because of court challenges to two local primary elections that involved absentee-voting irregularities. Those cases are unrelated to Trump's bogus allegations of identity fraud at the polls. Such fraud is so rare as to be considered nonexistent. Ironically, the only major fraud case to surface in the current election involved an Iowa woman — a Trump supporter — who voted twice late last month.

Otherwise, this is a red-herring issue. It's shameful that someone vying for the presidency spends his time tearing down our electoral system instead of upholding it. That speaks to the underhanded tactics he is employing to win.

The system's integrity depends on all registered and able voters exercising their freedom to head to the polls and cast their votes free of coercion or intimidation. In Tuesday's Post-Dispatch, we'll be publishing our recommendations in the major races and ballot initiatives. We hope you'll study it as part of preparations to make an informed decision.

Regardless of how you vote, don't allow anyone to interfere with this most fundamental American right.

REPRINTED FROM THE ST LOUIS POST DISPATCH