It's time to step up to the plate and file

It's pretty clear that the election season has already started, but for all the announcements, the real deal doesn't start until Monday.

For 10 working days candidates will bring their filing fees down to their county clerk's office to sign up for the chance at one of the many offices up for election.

For all the talk of voting, it is at filing time that the real democratic process begins. Over the next two weeks we will learn who will step forward to lead us over the next two to four years.

Those brave souls who file deserve our respect for their willingness to run. They will have to appear at public functions and field sometimes impertinent questions. Their character and competence may be debated in public and their finances opened to scrutiny. By the end of the ride, some will wonder if the ride was worth the price of admission.

Many races are open in Carson City, including assessor, clerk, district attorney, treasurer, sheriff, justice of the peace and district judges.

It's possible the school board could have a completely different complexion, as four of the seven positions are open. The same is true of the Carson City Board of Supervisors, where half of the four positions are open.

Because it is not a presidential election year, turnout tends to be lighter, but there are plenty of other executives on the ballot, including: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, controller and attorney general, three seats on the Nevada Supreme Court, 11 of 21 seats are open in the Nevada Senate and all 42 seats in the Assembly are up for election. Also on the ballot are seats for the Board of Regents and the Nevada Board of Education.

People filing for statewide offices should go to the Secretary of State's Office.

On the federal level, one U.S. Senate seat is up as are all three U.S. Representative seats.

In a couple of months we will be urging folks to go out and vote, but starting Monday, we're urging people to go out and file.

- The Record Courier contributed to this editorial