Another election is upon us, and this year, local residents across Union County will have the opportunity to choose the top executives in their municipalities, along with city council members, justices of the peace, and state and federal representatives.
There's a lot of noise during any election year, and this one is no different. It can be difficult to cut through the propaganda and find information without spin.
This Voters' Guide is designed to help local residents inform themselves before they cast their ballots. It is in no way intended to sway opinions one way or the other, but instead to create an easily accessible store of information for voters.
Inside, you'll find "print debates" between candidates of contested races in Union County. The News-Times reached out to every local candidate and gave them the same opportunity to be featured in this guide; not everyone responded, but we're glad to say that the vast majority did.
Each candidate included in this guide was given the same rules. We selected several questions specific to their respective races and gave them each 500 words to allocate among their responses to the questions as they saw fit.
We did not edit the responses, meaning our readers -- and specifically, local voters -- are getting a raw, unvarnished look at their potential representatives. spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and gaffes of any sort were left in the final product.
We hope you find this publication helpful as your prepare to go to the polls and cast your ballot.
And, regardless of your political leanings, we really hope you vote and make your voice heard.
-- Caitlan Butler, Managing Editor