Tuesday is Election Day; get out and vote

Tuesday is Election Day in Missouri, featuring races for many municipal and school board positions.

In Southeast Missouri, there's no shortage of races to be determined with the contest for Cape Girardeau mayor leading the way.

On the ballot are incumbent Mayor Bob Fox and City Councilwoman Stacy Kinder. Michelle Latham is running a write-in campaign for the position. The Southeast Missourian has published several stories in the weeks leading up to this election, asking candidates their stances on issues important to voters. There have been several public debates, feturing the two candidates on the ballot along with questions from various audiences. It's been a vigorous campaign. Both Fox and Kinder are philosophically conservative and generally agree on many issues. But there are some differences between the two, which reporting on the race has revealed.

Cape's race for mayor isn't the only contest on the ballot. There are elections for city council, school board and health board seats, among others. These are all important for our communities.

Read more about all the candidates in this weekend's Southeast Missourian and online at semissourian.com/elections.

We applaud all those who put their name on the ballot. It's important to have good people serve at all levels of government, and some of the most important work happens at the local level.

Speaking of service, we have a special appreciation for the poll workers on Election Day. Many of these individuals have done this for years and consider it part of their patriotic service. Thank you to all those who help make our elections possible.

We encourage you to vote Tuesday. Read about the candidates and make your voice heard at the polls.