Election season has begun!

And it’s going to be a heck of a contest.

The good news?

More candidates are running for more positions than ever before.

More good news? River Reporter will be running election stories, letters to the editor, candidate statements, advertisements and more from now until November 2.

The coverage will be in print and online.

We aim to be your partner in getting the word out on the candidates who are vying to provide leadership at a time when leadership is so solely needed.

We need your help:

Candidates:

Send us your photo and a

250-word statement.

Written in the first person, tell us: 1) Your platform: (Why are you running now?) and 2) The biggest issue in your locale and how you will address it.

We will be publishing these statements online when received and curating them for insertion into the October 28 River Reporter print edition. Send your 250-word first-person statement to copyeditor@riverreporter no later than October 21.

Email or call us to place an advertisement.

Advertisements are available for our print edition, e-newsletter and at riverreporter.com. Email sales@riverreporter for more information or call 845/252-7414 ext. 134.

Readers:

Participate in the election process.

Send us your 250-word letters for publication. These letters could support candidates, bring particular issues to the forefront, advocate for the voting and election process, lament the current state of affairs, etc. Send to copyeditor@riverreporter.com. Deadline is Thursday prior for the next Thursday print edition.

Propose questions our reporters might ask.

Help us identify the important questions and issues that you want to know more about. And check out what’s new at www.riverreporter.com

Democracy depends on participation in a respectful and civil manner. Let’s use this election season to identify how our community systems work and how we might strengthen them through this year’s election.

(Yeah, it’s work, but it has the capacity to yield so much!)