Qualification for the 2017 municipal elections November’s election in LaGrange, Hogansville and West Point ended Friday afternoon. Twenty-one people are running for positions in all three cities, if you count both mayoral and city council positions.

Although the election seems distant from now, it is important to start researching each of these candidates’ positions on issues you find important. Before we know it, it will be election day ,and we need to be informed so we can decide who is right for these positions.

It is important to be informed before going to the polls.

It is especially important to vote in order for your voice to be heard.

Being able to vote is a right and privilege that we have in this country, so seizing the opportunity anytime you can vote, is a great way to exercise our freedom.

We also appreciate all the candidates who put themselves out there by running for office.

Those that face incumbents have the challenge of proving themselves to voters against someone who has experience. Incumbents have the challenge of effectively showing what they’ve done for the community.

Campaigning is expensive and hard.

It is easy to criticize politicians and run them down for slogans or an awkward answer to an easy question.

However, we need to remember that politicians are just people.

They are taking on a lot to win a position where they will take on even more responsibility and be put in a spotlight where they will often face criticism for their choices.

If it was an easy job, everybody would do it.

Running and serving in government positions is not for the faint hearted, and we appreciate the 21 people who stepped up to do so for the upcoming election.