Two weeks from Tuesday, voters in Warren County will go to the polls to chart the course for the county for the next four years and help do the same for the state. Candidates have been campaigning for months. Signs and advertisements are easily seen on county and city streets.

On a sign, or in a campaign ad, office-seekers have control of the message. They are able to craft eye-catching slogans. They trumpet points they believe are their strongest and stay away from any weaknesses. Signs and bullet-points provide the electorate with just a taste of where candidates stand.

The most comprehensive candidate answers will appear in this newspaper beginning Monday and extend to Nov. 4, four days before the Nov. 8 balloting. Each candidate for a contested race — there are 11 contested local races on this year’s ballot — has been sent a questionnaire tackling some of the most pressing issues facing Warren County. The questions and accompanying answers will appear on the bottom of the front page of each day’s newspaper until all of the contested races are covered. Answers will appear in order alphabetically with each candidate’s last name. The questions will be thorough and tackle only the issues that affect the people of Warren County.

The same questionnaires were sent out leading up to the primary elections. Most candidates answered the questions; some did not. This is not a mandatory exercise, only an opportunity.

While the candidates take time to answer the questions, the voters should take time to read the answers. Free elections are a gift and should be looked upon as such. Blindly voting for a candidate because of a political affiliation or common last name will do nothing to advance this county. Staying home on Election Day will do little to move us forward.

What will move this county forward is for the people to cast educated ballots. Read candidates’ answers every day. Find out the positives and negatives. These are not soundbites or slogans.

The future of the county is in the voters’ hands.