November may sound like a long ways away, but in some ways, the election process starts today.

Thursday was the deadline for candidates to file to run in the general election. The petitions will be verified today by the Lawrence County Board of Elections.

So, beginning today, voters need to start doing their homework, start learning about the challenges facing their communities and start finding out which candidates will be the best fit.

Voters will decide on a variety of races depending on where they live. The slate will include Ironton City Council, council positions for every village in the county, school board posts and clerk/treasurer and trustee positions in the townships.

All of these are important roles that can have a profound impact on our lives and our communities.

It is important that voters become engaged now, spending the next two months or so learning all they can about candidates and what they would bring to the table.

The top challenge facing nearly every government entity that has seats open is a common one: Money.

More precisely, the problems stem from the lack of it.

From villages like Coal Grove that are actually seeking operating levies to the city of Ironton that has its share of problems to all the school districts in Lawrence County that have seen their funding diminish, nearly every candidate seeking office will have to take a long, hard look at the financial situations.

Don’t trust one source. Seek as much information as possible about all elected officials from a variety of sources.

But the most important thing is not to wait until the last minute or think that these decisions aren’t important.

Doing that could have a big impact on your life down the road.