No doubt about it, it's a daunting task for us here at the newspaper to try to get to know a little about each of the candidates for municipal office.
With 87 of them, we've got a lot of work ahead of us to give the community the information they need to help them choose who they want to vote for on Nov. 15.
But we're not complaining.
The number of people who have chosen to throw their hats into the ring is a ringing endorsement for democracy in the Cowichan Valley.
What it will do is haul local issues out into the light of day for consideration and debate.
New faces will have the chance to make their pitch and perhaps bring forward new ideas and issues that haven't been on the table before.
Incumbents will have the chance to explain their decisions and answer to the electorate.
It's a jolt of energy into the dayto-day of municipal politics. It will also, for a time, focus the community on what the collective wants our future to look like - at least for the next four years.
At least, we hope it will.
We hope just as so many people have been inspired to run for office, so will the general public be inspired to go out and cast their ballot on voting day.
With so many choices, nobody can claim there isn't at least one or two people they can endorse.
Bravo to everyone who has stood up and put their names forward.
Now it's up to the public to take up the democratic torch.
We encourage everyone to attend an all-candidates meeting if they can, and go to the Citizen website (www.cowichanvalleycitizen. com) and read our profiles on the hopefuls.
With such a long list (there are 17 candidates just for school board) it can seem intimidating to try to sort one from the other, especially if you just show up on voting day.
The ballot can sure look long with so many names swimming around.
So we recommend that you begin to make a list as you read about the candidates, or see them in person - perhaps even hear them respond to a question you might have.
Take your list with you to the polls and voting is a quick and easy procedure.
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Submitting a letter to the editor is now easier than ever - you can do it online by going to the Cowichan Valley Citizen website, www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com, and clicking on the Opinion tab. Then click Send us a letter.
Write 300 words or less on the topic of your choice, include your full name (first and last), and a town you hail from.
Include a phone number (which is not printed) so that we can verify your authorship.