Elections can be a tumultuous six months for some people. Elections that have many candidates often find themselves with too many similarities or slight nuances for the mass public to make a distinction between them.

So, as a result, people vote for who they know or who they just have that “gut feeling” about. Or they just don’t vote at all. Any one of those scenarios is arguably the worst.

But for this year’s special election, Pearl River County residents aren’t exactly facing an issue of too many candidates, but a short campaign cycle.

Candidates had a little over a month and a half to campaign after the qualifying deadline before the election on July 25.

Maybe it’s because of the short time frame or the short candidate list, but there doesn’t seem

to be as much hype about this election, which is just as important as the one held last November to fill the District 106 seat.

Mark Formby held the position for almost 30 years and brought Pearl River County a significant amount

of recognition and attention on the state level as he worked his way through the ranks.

Whoever is chosen to fill his seat has some big shoes to fill.

The constituents of District 108 include most of the incorporated areas of Picayune, where more of the county population is concentrated.

With that, it carries a lot of weight and residents should take the time to learn about each candidate, their background, where they stand and how their actions in the legislature would affect their lives.

It can be tough to decide between candidates, they may appear different on the surface, but when you take a close look, we all want the same thing; a better place to raise our families and to build a future.

Don’t forget to take the time and vote on July 25.