It's only March, but August voting will come soon

It's been relatively quiet the past few weeks on the election front. However, a story over the weekend in the Southeast Missourian highlighted several races in which incumbent officeholders will see opponents in the August primary or November general election, including Missouri House of Representatives District 8.

Today is the final day to file for many state and federal races.

In addition to the race for U.S. Congress, a seat held by Jason Smith, state representatives across Missouri are up for re-election.

The only statewide position on the ballot in 2014 is the auditor's seat. Tom Schweich is the current state auditor in Missouri.

There will be more stories in the Southeast Missourian in the coming months leading up to the primary election on Aug. 5. We encourage you to follow the coverage and learn more about the candidates.

It's critical for our state and country to have an educated electorate. This means asking tough questions and prioritizing issues, then to vote for the candidate you believe is best suited to serve.

We appreciate all those who put their name on a ballot and seek public service. For more election news, visit semissourian.com/election.