To the editor:

Voting in our elections is a privilege, an honor and also a real challenge. The issues may be, likely are, complicated. We may be asked to vote for many candidates. We have a great deal of electoral advertising to wade through as well as, for many candidates, a historical record. With all this, we just need to do our best.

I want to urge all of you to resist taking the easy way out which is simply voting for candidates of whatever party you have favored in the past. Simply voting is not good enough. Please vote for candidates you decide will do the best job in office. As best you can, be a judge of their character, their motivations and their ability. Whatever the outcome of the election, you then can feel satisfied that you fulfilled your responsibility as a voter.

Does their advertising reflect a positive attitude and intention to work for the best, or does it simply take distorted potshots at the opposition? Does their advertising and campaign information describe their positions on the important issues — at least the issues important to you?

Look at the candidates’ background and decide for yourself what mark they have made, what sort of ability they have. What about their moral character? Be fair in judging that, but don’t ignore it. Again, don’t be guided just by their party affiliation; our elections are too important for that.

Best of luck to all of us for a good election, a good outcome and good government.

Joe Douglas,

Lawrence