While we at the Herald certainly take out hats off to all those who so bravely threw theirs into the ring during the election season, we also feel it’s vitally important to inform the public at this time that politics are still politics.

By and large the Democratic process has gone unaltered since it was born in Greece thousands of years ago as have politicians — although togas have been replaced by business suits. Untrue allegations and false promises made during campaigns have changed very little over the years.

And much like the shopping adage, “buyer beware,” we’d like to extend the same caution to the voters.

Most politicians are not out there to mislead the public and, once in office, will undertake some quest to do good with their power and influence. But, there are some who would have the public believe in falsehoods as they kiss babies and shake hands.

Our message to the public is to get the facts and get them straight.

Don’t be afraid to call the candidates and ask them about certain issues or viewpoints. Don’t feel either, that you have to accept their word as Gospel. Call the city, the county, the port, or the fire districts and get your questions answered factually.

All too often we in the media miss the finer points in the search for the overall picture. Expect this too, and by all means explore many avenues of information. You owe it to yourself and your community.

Your vote is essentially “buying” representation and leadership for the next several years — we feel it deserves more time and more consideration than any other shopping you do.

We’ll be providing plenty of candidate information and our candidate endorsements beginning with the Oct. 24 Herald. We will give you the thinking behind our choices, but we encourage you do to your own thinking as well.

Across the page are letters from your friends and neighbors, offering a wealth of opinion about candidates.

Gather as much information as you can, put on your skeptical hat and cast an educated vote. You’ll be glad you did.