Over the last six weeks, I’ve had the distinct privilege of distributing and publishing The Vicksburg Post’s “Meet the Candidates” series.

We’ve made it through the Board of Supervisors candidates and are now onto other county offices — featured in this past weekend’s edition of The Post were our two candidates for Tax Collector, Amanda Haggard Battle and Pamela Durman, and this weekend we’ll get to meet our candidates for Warren County Prosecutor.

These questionnaires publish in print first and then publish online on Monday mornings.

The response we’ve received from running the “Meet the Candidates” series in advance of the Aug. 8 primary election makes me hopeful for voter turnout in the primary and general election, which is slated for Nov. 7. The closer voters are to the candidates, the more likely they are to feel convicted enough to make a trip to the polls.

We still have 11 weeks of “Meet the Candidates” features to publish before the primary election. I’m excited to see what our candidates have to share with readers, and excited to learn where their ideas differ and intersect.

What I like best about the “Meet the Candidates” series is that it’s devoid of outside opinion or influence. Each candidate is given the same set of questions, the same amount of time to complete them and the same opportunity to make a first impression upon readers. While this sort of practice is common for state and national elections, rarely if ever do municipal elections get the same attention.

It’s my hope that readers will treat these questionnaires with the same reverence as they would a state or national election.

Warren County is slated for major growth over the next five years with the incoming Port of Vicksburg Expansion, infrastructure improvements and (hopefully) the new detention center’s completion. As Americans, we have the distinct privilege and right to vote for leaders who will best meet our needs as we look to the future of our county.

My charge to you, as readers and voters, is this: Keep reading our “Meet the Candidates” series. Stay informed on the issues at hand for each specific office. Don’t be afraid to ask candidates your specific questions when given the opportunity and form your own opinion about who is best suited for each role.