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If you haven't had a chance to do so yet, you owe it to yourself to read he story written by Linda Harris that appeared on Page 1A of today's edition.
That's especially true if you live in Jefferson County and are planning to vote in the Nov. 7 election.
She had the chance to meet with Bob Gale, director of the county's board of elections, and discuss the process that needs to be followed if one of the races that will appear on your ballot includes a write-in candidate.
That's important, because that's the case in numerous communities this year.
That includes the council at large seat in Steubenville. It's an important position -- besides the mayor, it's the only legislative post in the city that every resident gets the chance to vote on.
Both of the candidates who are looking to replace Kimberly Hahn -- who is prohibited by term limits from seeking re-election -- are write-ins, former Fourth Ward Councilman Scott Dressel and former police Capt. Joel Walker.
While it's not that unusual to see a write-in candidate on the ballot, it is unusual to see the two candidates who are vying for the position appear in that form.
They aren't alone.
In Amsterdam, write-in candidate Elizabeth L. Phillips is running against Jason Corder in the race for mayor. In Dillonvale, write-in candidate Jill A. Winksi is running against Brian Driscoll for mayor.
Voters in Mingo Junction will have three candidates to choose from for mayor -- Judy Ruckman, Patrick Murphy and write-in Mark Baker, while those who cast a vote in the race for Yorkville Village Council will choose between Ronald M. Emerson and Sarah Jokovich, a write-in.
There's only one candidate running for the Fifth Ward seat in Toronto -- write-in Greg Herrick.
Each of these candidates had to follow a set of guidelines to earn official write-in status, and there's a specific process that voters who choose to vote for a write-in candidate need to follow when they fill out their ballots. That will be especially important for those who live in Steubenville -- writing in one of the two candidates will be the only way to cast a vote in the council at large race.
Running for office as a write-in is not an easy task. But candidates across the country successfully are elected to office by following that route in just about every election.
It just takes a little more attention and effort on the part of voters, and that's why everyone who is planning to cast a vote in any of the races that include a write-in candidate needs to take the time to learn about how the process works and follow the procedures.
Doing so will help to streamline the work that must be done by workers on election day, make the process of counting those votes later that evening move more efficiently and more accurately and ensure your vote is properly counted.
That's important in every election, and especially so this year. Not only are there big races for local school boards and in townships, villages and cities, voters in many parts of the county will have the chance to vote on tax and other issues. And, there are a couple of statewide issues that likely will make the turnout a little larger than would normally be expected for the vote that falls between the mid-terms and the presidential election.
Those are Issue 1, the reproductive rights amendment to the Ohio Constitution, and Issue 2, the marijuana legalization initiative.
And, for all the talk that surrounds the election cycle, none of it really matters if you are not registered to vote. If you aren't registered and have not done that yet, you are running short of time. The deadline to register for the Nov. 7 election is Tuesday, and the board of elections will be open until 9 p.m. to make it easier for you to accomplish that task.
If you are registered, there is no excuse for not voting. Military and overseas voting already is underway -- that process has been open since Sept. 22.
Early voting -- in-person absentee voting -- begins Wednesday. You can cast your ballot at the board of elections between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Oct 16-20 and Oct. 23-27. On Oct. 30, hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. On Oct. 31, the hours are 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1-3; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 4 and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5.
There are no early voting hours on Nov. 6, and the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7.
Voters in our region and across Ohio will have the opportunity to make some important decisions at the ballot box this year. That's why it's important to study the issues and candidates and then cast your votes.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)