Those running for office, and a lot of their friends and colleagues, have been hustling the last couple of weeks.

Whatever may have been a slow buildup, or a hangover from the special election, is now gone. Every vote counts, and those running for spots in our seven municipalities are trying to get them all.

At election time, we’re reminded that those elected to office are campaigning every day for the next election. We won’t argue that point; decisions are made, and there is always another election.

We’re just not crazy about the presentation of such a mentality.

Rather, we’d like to see the fervor, the passion and the enthusiasm that exists in the waning days before an election matched or exceeded over the course of the term by the winners. Not only that, we hope to see community involvement in our government matching what we’ve witnessed of late.

Our theory is such consistency over time could dilute the bursts at the finish line, that voters would know those elected are always looking out for constituents.

Most do, but this is the time when we’re reminded. A lot.

Interestingly, it is at this level — the municipalities — that the most trust exists between the people and the politicians, and there is the least bombardment in advertising. The signs are out for most candidates, but this isn’t the landscape for big-time TV and radio advertising. Newspaper ads were minimal, and a digital presence was there for some but not all.

Safe to say, a lot of people will go to the polls today believing what they know from first-hand experience, or what someone told them, or their converstations with the candidates.

After the election, what happens?

Will we still see the involvement, both by candidates and those who were engaged for them? And if so, what will it look like?

We don’t ask those questions searching for an answer tied to partisan majorities. We ask looking for answers on how we’ll move forward from Election Day to make our communities a better place.

After all, that’s why the candidates are running.

That’s why the people have rallied.

We all want a better place. Sometimes, that place is viewed the same by different individuals but because of contrasting ideas on how to get there, we have to mark our ballots.

Our democracy solves the differences of opinion. That’s the beauty of Election Day.

We hope any ugly parts of this election season subside quickly. When the votes are in, they’ve been counted and the winners determined, no matter how much work we thought we saw in the campaigning — it pales miserably in comparison to the jobs ahead for those elected.

We need them to do well, even if we didn’t vote for them. In the end, we all want something better.

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