As the 2020 campaign enters its final days and candidates make their closing pitches, it is important for voters to make an informed decision on those on the ballot.

As we do each primary and general election, The Tribune will be publishing our voter guide, featuring the responses to our candidate questionnaires.

All candidates were mailed a copy of the questions and responses are beginning to come in. We usually get a decent response rate, yet there are always those who choose not to respond.

And, as was the case with last week’s candidate forum at the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, some candidates did not participate, even though it was done through Zoom and did not even require an in-person visit.

Avoiding these types of outlets serves no purpose but to deprive voters of the information they seek.

A fully functioning democracy and representative government depends on participation not just from the public, but from those seeking office.

And in the time of COVID-19 and fewer chances for in-person meetings, it is vital that those seeking office reach out through alternative means.

We encourage candidates to be as open and accessible when campaigning and hope to hear back from all on the ballot this fall.