For the middle of July, there’s a lot of political news in the air. Last night, eastern North Carolina voters decided between two Republican nominees who will represent the party in the special 3^rd Congressional District election. Turnout, generally speaking, was fairly low, as expected during a mid-summer second primary. Unfortunately, the results of that came too late to include in today’s issue, but are available online at www.thewashingtondailynews.com.

Then, more locally, last Friday kicked off the beginning of municipal filing for every city and town council in Beaufort County. As of Monday, 10 people had thrown their hats in the ring for various positions throughout the county. All it takes is $10 to get one’s name on the ballot, and become involved in the political process. Filing to run for office continues through next Friday at noon, if anyone’s interested.

Finally, next week, the Beaufort County Board of Elections will hold two important seminars to show local people the ins and outs of voter ID and how it will be used in the 2020 elections. Given the amount of confusion surrounding the issue, and how much it will likely come up during the 2020 primaries, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the changes. Sessions are scheduled for 2 and 6 p.m. at the Board of Elections offices on Monday.

Knowing what is required to cast a vote is as critical as knowing who you intend to vote for. From the local to the federal level, the people who sit in these offices impact our lives in a variety of ways, both large and small. It’s important to pay attention to these things.