We want to thank the Mount Vernon-Lisbon unit of the League of Women Voters for hosting a candidate forum for House District 83 candidates Kent McNally and Cindy Golding. That race is one of two local races that is contested for the area, with the Linn County Board of Supervisors race between Molly Donahue and Brandy Zumbach-Meisheid the other.

It was a great forum, with more than 100 there to hear from these two candidates on the issues in the race and a livestream is still up on the Mount Vernon-Lisbon LWV’s Facebook page.

We’re a month out from the general election, and as McNally said during the forum, outside of the local races, there isn’t much civility to be seen. It’s refreshing to listen to candidates who may not agree on each issue or how a question was presented to civilly correct the language and discuss where they stand on an issue.

Absentee ballots can be requested now up until Oct. 16, and there will be a satellite voting station at Cornell College later in October for those who want to vote early but rather do so in person.

The presidential race looks to be one where every vote is going to matter and states that were solidly for one candidate may not be as solid at this point.

As always it is this newspaper’s stance we don’t tell you how to vote, but we do care that you do get out and vote in the election. Letters to the editor in support of candidates will run up to the Oct. 24 issue of the Sun.