While Labor Day is generally considered the kickoff to the fall general election campaign nationwide, in Lawrence County, serious campaigning really kicks the last week of each September.

Last night, the Concerned Citizens of Burlington hosted their Meet the Candidates night at Burlington Elementary School, which serves as the unofficial kickoff to the final weeks of the campaign season.

This event, which is free and open to all of the community, gives candidates for local and regional office a chance to make their case to the voters.

The group hosts the event, once in the primary and general election, each campaign season, and has done so for years.

We salute Concerned Citizens President Ed Moellendick and members of the group for organizing this forum each year. It serves a great civic purpose, making office seekers accessible to voters.

It is imperative that voters be as informed as possible when making their decisions in November and we encourage all residents of the county to attend the many functions in coming weeks that will feature candidates.

The Tribune strivesto keep its readers educated on where the candidates stand on the issues, whether through our election reporting, our regular voters guide, which publishes in coming weeks, and our own candidate forum, which is set for Oct. 18 at Ohio University  Southern.

All candidates for Lawrence County Commission, county auditor and common pleas judge have been invited to take part is this session.

We invite all voters to come out for what will be an informative night of civil and fair discussion, and a demonstration of democracy in action.