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Election Day is almost here. This feels like the most elongated election season we’ve ever dealt with in Troup County, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the social distancing guidelines that have come out of it.

The election date has been changed a couple of times, absentee ballots became the norm for many and campaigning had to become completely digital.

But now it’s finally here. Anyone who hasn’t voted can head to the polls on Tuesday and cast their ballot from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

We always urge people to vote, explaining the importance of local races on the ballot, but we feel like this race is all of that times ten.

When you figure in all of the county positions that are up for grabs this time around, it’s clear that this election will dictate how we as a community move forward into the future.

The school board races will all be decided Tuesday night, as they are non-partisan. That race in particular has felt very drawn out, just because the senior property tax conversation started in September and then turned morphed into a hotly-debated election topic.

The ballot also includes three Troup County Commission races, but those are partisan races and each winner will face opposition from the opposite party in November. The person who wins these positions will make decisions that impact the county and our everyday way of life.  They ultimately decide how the county budget is allocated and choose which projects get selected and which don’t.

The sheriff, probate judge, coroner, judge of state court and a contested house seat are all on the ballot too.

There’s often a lot of focus — especially on television — about the president and Congress, and rightfully so. However, the people who make up a large portion of the leadership positions in our county will be selected on Tuesday, and their decisions ultimately have a larger impact on us than a lot of the things our national leadership bickers over.

We hope that people don’t let fear of COVID-19 stop them from voting. Plenty of safeguards are being taken to ensure that voting can be done safely on Tuesday.

This election is too important for anyone to sit out. We encourage you to do your homework, figure out your candidates and cast a ballot on Tuesday.