Educated voter: It’s a term we hear hundreds of times during election seasons thrown around in the communities in which we live. It’s also a pretty straightforward phrase, but becoming one is easier said than done.

The power lies with the people in a democratic society, but that can be a curse without an educated society. The power is in our hands, and if we are uninformed, how are we to best choose our leaders? Our policies? Our laws?

An educated voter is someone who takes the time to get to know the ins and outs of the candidates, the policies and the issues surrounding the election, regardless of how complicated they may be. That’s where it gets tough, you don’t need to be told how frustrating and confusing it can be to sort through the spin of political language to get to the facts. Much of the population will distance themselves as a result. But that is exactly what we should not do. While the over-complication and verbose nature of politics and politicians makes it tough to know where the truth is, familiarizing yourself with statements and policy summaries can be helpful to notice the fine print that is not publicized in advertisements on television or the radio. Being familiar with the issues, especially locally, can also help hold governing officials responsible for what is said is the same as what is being done.

If the public is aware of position statements and explanations of proposed policies, it will know when something is changed, but if society does not pay attention, changes can be made, and policies can be reversed, often with no recourse until it is too late. We as a society not only choose our leaders and laws by voting, but also have a responsibility to keep them in check and make sure that what is being said is being done.

Debates such as the school board debate on Thursday and the park board debate on Tuesday are one of the easiest ways to find out where potential leaders stand. All questions will be asked by the public, and issues will be made known to candidates. The debates will be available on the radio, TV and in-person, and the entire community is welcome.

In small communities such as Vashon, the debates are an easy solution to the problem of getting to know the candidates.