Perhaps the most important way citizens canget involved in their communities is through helping choose theirelected leaders.

    Lincoln County residents get their first opportunity to cast theirvotes in less than three weeks during the Aug. 2 party primaries.Future opportunities will come Aug. 23 with party primary runoffswhere needed, followed by the general election Nov. 8.

    Voting is a cherished right, but merely showing up on Election Dayto cast a ballot is only a part of the citizen’s role in theelection process. Educating and informing one’s self on the issuesand the candidates seeking office goes a long way toward boostingthe value of the experience and enhancing the outcome of a trip tothe polls.

    To aid that endeavor, The DAILY LEADER is running a series offront-page stories with candidates’ responses to questions aboutthe offices they are seeking.

    In today’s edition, readers will find responses from candidatesrunning for Lincoln County superintendent of education. NextSunday’s story will focus on Senate District 39 candidates, andanswers from supervisor candidates in Districts Four and Five willbe published in the coming weeks.

    To further help voters make informed choices, The DAILY LEADER willpublish our Political Profiles section Friday, July 29. Anopportunity to participate was extended to all persons running forlocal and area offices, and nearly every office-seeker took thetime to fill out a form and provide a photo for this specialpublication.

    Continuing with our pre-election coverage, we will, as usual,publish a sample ballot and a list of voting places for LincolnCounty’s 32 precincts on the Sunday before the first primary. Sowatch for this information on July 31.

    Aside from newspaper efforts, the candidates also are continuing totravel the county introducing themselves and asking for votes.These encounters offer one-on-one opportunities for you to quiz theofficer-seekers on issues of specific importance to you.

    Voter awareness and involvement in the election process will helpensure that Lincoln County, this area and the state as a whole willhave the best possible leaders for the next four years.

    It’s up to all of us.