Our Viewpoint: A yearly reminder to be informed

I think absentee voting is one of the best inventions. I really appreciate having the opportunity to review the ballot, review the voter guide and make informed decisions.

Some thoughts are worth repeating. Every year, I write about keeping our communities clean around Beautification Days. There's a reminder to shop local and give local around the holidays. And every election cycle, I urge readers to be informed voters.

I hate to admit it, but when I was younger and a new voter, I would just vote for names I had heard of for most state races. I would know a little bit about local candidates, but I was not doing enough to inform myself before filling out a ballot.

Now I'm definitely older and hopefully wiser, and I take my time deciding for whom I am voting. I read about issues and I look at candidates' voting records and priorities.

The Secretary of State's office sent out the annual voter pamphlet, and more copies are available at the courthouse. I encourage every person to first of all, get out and vote. As the saying goes, you can't whine if you don't vote. Second, make sure you are making informed choices. I really don't care who a person votes for, as long as the voter is informing themselves about the candidate.

Last week, we published profiles for local offices. Though there is only one contested race this year, it's still important to get to know your elected officials and know where they stand on issues.

This week, we have profiles of local legislative candidates. The same questions were sent to each candidate, though not all took the opportunity to respond. We hope these profiles help you make informed decisions. While the congressional races are getting a lot of attention in the media, these local candidates make important decisions for our daily lives.

Happy election season. — Annie Wooden