It’s too bad that a Lawrence City Commission campaign that has been conducted in a largely civil and respectful manner was marred this week by the anonymous distribution of a postcard making scurrilous and unsubstantiated charges against a commission candidate.

A fellow candidate had it right when he condemned the card Thursday night, saying, “we don’t do this in Lawrence, Kansas. We don’t do it.”

It’s obvious, of course, that someone does such things, even in Lawrence, Kansas, but as a community we should label such mean-spirited attacks for what they are: irrational and irrelevant to the election campaign and, as such, something that should have no effect on the way an individual casts his or her vote.

Regardless of who voters support in Tuesday’s commission race, they should speak with one voice in condemning such unsavory and potentially illegal campaign tactics.

As a community, let’s finish this election off on a high note by learning about the five commission candidates and going to the polls in record numbers Tuesday to register our choices.