Lawrence isn’t a common stop on the presidential campaign trail, but this election year is a little different than most.

For one thing, at least three presidential candidates are coming to Kansas ahead of the state’s political caucuses on Saturday, including Democrat Bernie Sanders, who is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. today at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Lawrence.

The fact that Lawrence is home to Kansas University probably was a key draw for Sanders, who is finding much support among young voters. And, really, if you’re a liberal Democrat who describes yourself as a democratic socialist, where else in Kansas are you likely to find a more friendly audience?

Sanders’ visit is a good reminder to local Republicans and Democrats about the Saturday caucuses which offer Kansas voters their only chance to participate in the nomination of their party’s candidate.

In Douglas County, Republicans can cast ballots for their favorite nominees between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at either the Baldwin City Library or Lawrence’s Southwest Middle School. Participating in the Democratic caucus will require a bit more of a commitment for Kansas University basketball fans. Democrats can register from 1 to 3 p.m. at Eudora High School or Lawrence’s Liberty Memorial Central Middle School but must be physically present to form presidential preference groups at 3 p.m., the starting time for KU’s game at Allen Fieldhouse.

Sanders may draw a large crowd tonight, but it’s hard to tell how either he or Hillary Clinton will stand up to the KU basketball competition on Saturday.

It’s nice to see Kansas getting more than the normal attention in a presidential election year, and we hope many people take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the democratic process on Saturday. It’s fun to welcome Sanders to Lawrence today and be a part of such an interesting election season.