Fewer than three weeks remain before the qualifying deadline forcandidates to appear on the Nov. 2 ballot, and so far the responsefrom would-be candidates is underwhelming.

This isn’t to say there are not qualified candidates on theballot – as there most certainly are. But so far, most races havedrawn just one or two contenders, and races for several areapositions have yet to draw a single candidate.

In a community as active as this, there should be no lack ofwilling, qualified candidates for the elections commissioner andschool board positions on the ballot.

These elected positions are vital to our community, as theyensure two of our most cherished commodities: an efficient electionmechanism and quality public education.

The deadline to file qualifying paperwork is Sept. 3, so foranyone who ever thought he or she could make a difference, now isthe time to prove it to yourself and to your community. Step up,throw your hat in the ring and give something back.

The old saying goes, “if you didn’t vote, don’t complain,” Butin this case, it just might be “if you didn’t run, don’tcomplain.”