As this year’s election cycle hits full swing, local candidates and incumbents have seen their schedule filling up with speaking dates and various forums.

Well, some of them have.

We at The Daily Eastern News have noticed a trend lately when trying to cover local politics: candidates are much less willing to talk with us, and with the general public, then they have been in past years.

Though, we realize that everyone lives a busy life, especially those who are campaigning for office, and we understand any hesitation when it comes to speaking with the press. We aren’t heartless monsters, afterall.

However, if you are an elected official, or if you are running to become one, then speaking to the public should be an important part of the job.

You should want to attend as many forums as you can to try and get your message out there.

If your platform is something you really believe in, it should be your mission to spread that around as much as you can.

Sadly, it seems like some people have been missing this aspect of elections.

We feel that, for a democracy to truly work and thrive, people running for office must include the public for which they want to represent in their goals and dreams.

It should not be a fight to get a candidate to appear at public events, yet we have witnessed first hand that it is becoming one.

We want every race to be fair and equal and we want the public to vote for whomever they think represents their needs best.

How can voters choose what’s right for them if they only hear one candidate’s side?

If becoming a public official is really what you want to do, make the time to speak to the public.

If you are really passionate about government and democracy, help it thrive by including people and keeping the elections fair.

We will keep doing what we can to cover these elections fairly and accurately, but if you don’t talk to us or any other news outlet, do not be surprised when the public misses your mission, which will forever be buried beneath the words: “the candidate could not be reached for comment.”

The Editorial staff can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].