Tribune editorial staff

The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected.

Thomas Paine's words are as true today as they were in 1795, perhaps more so. Today, even with millions of voters in America, each and every vote still counts.

In less than one month - about 24 days to be exact - voters in Ironton will head to the polls to select several people who will lead the city in the coming years.

For many, the political signs around town have raised an awareness of the upcoming election, but many voters are not familiar enough with the candidates to match names with faces.

That's where the Ironton Co-Operative Club can help.

The club is sponsoring a "Meet the Candidates" event at 7 p.m. Thursday on the Ohio University Southern campus in Ironton.

The event will feature candidates for Ironton mayor, Ironton City Council and Ironton Board of Education.

Voters, many of whom may not have seen candidates face-to-face yet, will be able to see candidates and hear their messages. While the event is more of a forum than a debate, members of the audience will be able to submit questions for candidates. Bob Smith, assistant dean for development at OUS and former television news broadcaster, will moderate and ask submitted questions.

If you care about the future of Ironton and you care about casting a vote for the candidate who you feel will lead the city in the right direction, we urge you to attend the forum on Thursday night.

For a small investment of time, voters stand to gain much knowledge about the candidates.

To slightly paraphrase a phrase said by President Theodore Roosevelt, a vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the (knowledge) of the user.

The only way to obtain knowledge is to seek it out and what better way to learn about the candidates than to see and hear them in person on Thursday.