Today’s Journal-World includes a special voting guide that shares information about the Lawrence City Commission and school board races that will be on the March 3 primary ballot.

We hope you take time to review this information and additional information available at LJWorld.com to learn more about the candidates and the qualifications and ideas they would bring to the offices they seek. The local Voter Education Coalition also is sponsoring a candidate event Monday at the Lawrence Public Library. That event will include a “meet and greet” session for all city commission and school board candidates from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by a 90-minute candidate forum for city commission candidates.

With 14 candidates on the primary ballot, the city commission race offers voters lots of choices, but also may require them to take a little more time to study the field. Two incumbent commissioners are seeking re-election along with 12 other candidates who have a variety of reasons for entering the race. The field will be narrowed to six candidates who will advance to the April 7 general election. The top two voter-getters will serve four-year terms on the commission and the third-place finisher will get a two-year term.

This is an important city commission election, perhaps one of the most important in a number of years. The large number of candidates on the ballot probably is an indication of some concern about the current operations at City Hall. The handling of Rock Chalk Park has been a campaign issue, along with the failed effort to fund a new police headquarters. Some candidates have expressed concerns about economic development and the city’s use of tax incentives.

These are all important issues, and the commissioners elected on April 7 will be a key factor in determining the city’s future. Voters need to consider not only the stands of individual candidates on specific issues but also the integrity and experience they would bring to many other issues that aren’t yet on the city’s agenda.

The resignations of two school board members in the last year has created a situation that’s a little different and a little confusing for local voters. Seven candidates have filed for the four four-year terms on the board. No primary will be needed for those seats. However, the primary ballot will include four candidates seeking to fill the final two years of the term left open when Adina Morse resigned to take over as head of the Lawrence Schools Foundation. Two of those candidates will advance to the general election specifically for the two-year term, which will be elected separately from the four-year terms.

Voting is a big responsibility, and the low turnout for local elections is a perennial concern. The commissioners and school board members chosen in those elections have a huge impact on our daily lives, and voter participation is key. Advance voting already is underway at the Douglas County Clerk’s office, or you can take some time to evaluate your choices and go to the polls on March 3. We hope you’ll take advantage of the Journal-World’s voting guide and other resources to make the best possible choices for Lawrence’s future.