Not knowing where to find the particulars of who's running for office and being put off by the blistering criticisms of candidates by one another, too many of us have become disheartened with the spectacle and have given up.

Our opinions on November 8 matter. Mark the calendar and make a plan to vote. Show the world that you care about our democracy and our right to choose who represents us.

• Consider Maine House candidate Betsy Garrold. Straightforward and easy to read, she stands on firm ground, advocating for the basics: local food to eat; clean water to drink and air to breathe. Betsy is a homesteader in Knox and serves as President of Food for Maine's Future. As a nurse and midwife, she is strongly pro-choice. If elected, Betsy will represent the towns of Unity, Thorndike, Knox, Brooks, Waldo, Jackson, Monroe, Swanville and western Frankfort.
• Redistricting has caused the town of Waldo to lose its current sitting House Representative, powerhouse Jan Dodge, as she moves to the newly drawn district of Belfast, Belmont and Northport. She deserves an outpouring of support.
• Waldo County State Senator Chip Curry is poised to continue his work in Augusta and a vote for him will encourage his ongoing dedication.

Jennifer Hill lives in Waldo