In an effort to remain as fair and balanced as possible, The Winchester Sun has developed a more streamlined process for previewing races in the primary election.

All candidates should soon be receiving a letter and questionnaire, which were mailed Friday. The letter outlines our approach for our upcoming Meet the Candidates special section slated to publish prior to the May 22 primary election.

We have submitted to each candidate the same list of 15 questions, which includes some basic information, the office they are seeking, their education and professional background, their political party and any political experience.

We have also asked candidates to share some of their concerns, goals and qualifications with our readers with questions like, “What will be your top priority if elected to office?,” “What makes you the best candidate for the job?,” “What professional/political accomplishments are you most proud of in your life?” and “What is the biggest challenge our community faces? How would you address it?”

Candidates are asked to be clear and succinct with their responses limited to 50 words for each question.

The letter and questionnaire can also be downloaded at tinyurl.com/WSQuestionnaire.

There are numerous local and state offices up for election this year. While some candidates in partisan races are running unopposed and will not appear on the ballot in May, we will include all candidates who have filed for office.

An informed vote is the best vote, and we take pride in the opportunity to provide just a glimpse at what candidates believe qualifies them for public office and how they propose to address community issues.

We believe this special section will be a valuable tool for our readers and the community as we approach the primary election.

Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. The board is comprised of publisher Michael Caldwell and managing editor Whitney Leggett. To inquire about a meeting with the board, contact Caldwell at 759-0095.