As the calendar rolls into 2012, we find ourselves in the midst of yet another election year.

From Washington, D.C., to the Original Washington, politicians are gearing up for campaigns that will last until the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Many are off and running, having made January the month when they announced their candidacies for office.

For the record, a potential candidate may announce his or her intention to run for office, but it does not become official until the required documents are filed during the filing period.

In Beaufort County, the filing period begins Feb. 13 and ends Feb. 29. During this 17-day period, candidates wishing to run for office are required to register and pay a filing fee to the Board of Elections. This includes every office on the ballot.

The Washington Daily News has had a long-standing policy not to publish any letters to the editor or Sound Off comments that make reference to any candidate during a campaign year. We do this as a measure of fairness to all candidates and to prevent anyone from furthering their own cause at our expense on the editorial pages of the WDN.

To that end, our blackout begins Feb. 14 and runs through Election Day, Nov. 6. During this time, we will not publish any letters or comments that make reference to specific candidates.

As always, we look forward to covering a spirited election cycle in 2012