Our View: Know before you vote

If the colorful campaign signs popping up all around our community over the past few months somehow haven’t tipped you off, election season is here once again. 

Wyoming’s primary election is approaching quickly, and will take place August 20. 

This week’s paper is our Election Edition, which includes district maps, a publishing ballot listing who is running for each office, and our Voter’s Guide, where candidates were invited to submit articles and advertisements to give more information about what issues are important to them and why they believe they should be elected. We also have a front-page article covering this week’s Republican debates, during which candidates were able to get into more detail on specific issues. And our other front-page article addresses some of our current elected officials’ thoughts on the topic of border security. 

Suffice it to say, there’s lots of politics in this week’s newspaper.

We are proud to publish our Election Edition and Voter’s Guide because we aim to be a helpful resource for the community as voters prepare to head to the polls. We want to give everyone a chance to see who is running and learn more about each candidate and what they stand for. We believe this is crucial in helping the public make informed decisions as they choose who will represent them. 

We encourage everyone to be willing to take the time and effort to dig a little deeper as they think through their options. Know who the person you choose to represent you really is. Look further into statements they make to understand the logic behind their ideas. See if they give specific answers and are able to back up what they say. Think about the way they make statements. See if their actions match their words. 

While so much time and energy go into national campaigns, it’s often the local races that have the most direct impact on our individual lives. It’s also the local races where we can make a substantial difference in the outcome and truly make our voices heard.

We hope this week’s paper and our continued election coverage will help local voters know who they are voting for and why so we can all work together to shape the future of our community.