Early voting started Tuesday and will continue until May 2, the day before primary Election Day on May 3.

You will be picking Democratic and Republican candidates for offices from the township level to our federal representatives in Washington, and it has never been easier to make your plan to vote and set aside time to do so.

We at The Tribune are committed to informing our readers about the candidates running for office in key races. The aim of our news pages is to be your go-to source for fair and accurate information about the candidates and issues.

One of the chief goals of a free press is to help provide vital information so the public can make informed decisions. Another is to remind elected officials at every level of government that they are public servants. You’re the boss, not the other way around. That’s why we have elections, that’s why terms are limited and that’s why voting matters.

To the credit of election officials in Jackson County, they have made voting easier than ever. You can vote early, by mail or on Election Day. And thanks to online resources, more information than ever about candidates and races is at your fingertips. To find that information, visit the clerk’s website at jacksoncounty.in.gov.

Early in-person voting started Tuesday at the Jackson County Learning Center, 323 Dupont Drive, Seymour, and the enclosed shelter house at the Brownstown Park, 715 W. Bridge St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays at the Seymour site and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Brownstown location.

Those sites will be closed April 15 for Good Friday. Both sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 23 and 30.

A third vote center will open at Fraternal Order of Police Donald M. Winn Lodge 108, 1752 First Ave., Seymour, on April 18. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 23 and 30.

All three sites will be open from 8 a.m. to noon May 2.

You also may vote by mail. The deadline for filing an application for an absentee mail-in ballot is April 21. You can apply for a mail-in ballot at the state voter portal, indianavoters.in.gov.

On Election Day, seven voting centers around the county will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Tribune opinion page is a public forum for your paid political letters in support of or opposition to candidates for office. To accommodate all paid political letters ahead of the primary, those letters must be received and the $25 fee paid by 5 p.m. April 18. Letters may be sent to [email protected] or dropped off or mailed to our office at 121 N. Chestnut St., Seymour.

We encourage all registered voters to learn about the candidates, make informed choices and exercise your power at the ballot box.