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We are just more than one month out from the June 9 primary elections, which are vitally important for this community.

In this election, our county will elect new leaders for sheriff, county commission, school board, coroner, probate judge and state court judge.

All of these races are extremely important, but it’s clear the school board election is the one most people are talking about.

We’re not sure we’ve seen a more divisive election in this community in a long time, and it’s unfortunate that it’s going that direction. It’s great that so many people are engaged in this election and have a strong opinion on it. That’s definitely a good thing.

But we need our community to be less divided, not more — especially right now.

And when we say it’s divisive, we’re not really talking about the candidates from either side.

For the most part — there are some exceptions — the candidates have stayed on point, rather than shaming their opponents and people who are against them via social media insults.

It’s everyone else that we’re referring to.

It’s important to remember that on the morning of June 10, these races will be over, and we’re going to have to move forward as a community.

There’s a chance the board ends up as a mixture of incumbents and TRACER-endorsed candidates, and if that’s the case, those two sides are going to have to work together to overcome their differences.

It’s also important to remember that this election is for school board. These are the men and women who will shape the future and make decisions that impact our kids — from kindergarteners to high-school seniors.

In the meantime, the rest of us should probably avoid acting like kindergarteners.

Everyone running for office is a friend or neighbor. They live in Troup County just like we do, as do the registered voters from the other side.

Politics are often driven by a large passion for something.

If you find a candidate who agrees with you on most large issues, and their opponent doesn’t, it can be hard to understand why a friend would vote the opposite way.

However, it doesn’t make them a bad person or incompetent.

And that’s what we’ve got to remember when this race is over. On June 10, regardless of who wins, we’ve all got to come together for the future of our school system and this community.

Be passionate, make your voice heard, but keep it clean.