Exactly two weeks from today, Adams County voters will go to the polls in Aug. 6 party primary elections to choose candidates to represent the Democratic and Republican parties in statewide races and in some 15 Adams County offices that will be on the ballots.

Six of 15 Adams County races will be determined in the party primaries on Aug. 6 — or the runoff Aug. 27, if necessary, because only Democrats are on the ballots in those races: District 1 Adams County Supervisor, Adams County Northern District Constable, Adams County Southern District Constable, Northern District Justice Court Judge, Adams County Coroner and Adams County Prosecuting Attorney. Needless to say going to the polls on Aug. 6 will be crucial, especially in those elections, but also in others where the parties will be choosing candidates to face off in the general election on Nov. 5.

The Natchez Democrat Editorial Board, which includes General Manger Jan Griffey, News Editor Ben Hillyer and myself, spent the better part of last week interviewing candidates in many of the Adams County races.

Based on those interviews the editorial board will make our recommendations in upcoming editorials for which candidates the board thinks would be the best choices to fill those positions.

As journalists, we have a good bit of interaction with almost every elected county position through our roles as the eyes and ears of the public and as the watchdog of how those jobs are handled. We write about the issues elected officials in those positions are involved in and we get to see first-hand how elected officials handle those jobs.

Through that process, we come to some understanding of what it takes to do those jobs, the issues involved and what qualities a person needs to effectively do those jobs.

Also, as journalists we have a front row seat to the election process and have time to do face-to-face interviews with the candidates.

All of that puts us in a position to offer our recommendations for candidates we believe would be most effective in the elected positions.

Our recommendations, however, are just that — recommendations.

We encourage voters to do their own research, ask the candidates their own questions, read the stories we and other media have done and make their own decisions based on their own feelings about the candidates and the issues.

That said, the face-to-face interview process we conducted with most of the candidates who will be on primary ballots in two weeks was enlightening.

We got to know many of the candidates — both incumbents and challengers — and to hear straight from their mouths their hopes and plans for Adams County if they are elected to the positions they are seeking.

All of the candidates are sincere, I believe, in their desires to make Adams County the best it can be.

Just what the steps are to achieving that goal, however, differ depending on the priorities and issues we each believe are most important for making Adams County the best it can be.

Our job as voters is to set our own priorities and objectives to help Adams County be the best it can be and vote for the candidates we believe will best represent those goals.

In other words, vote your conscience.

Scott Hawkins is editor of The Natchez Democrat. Reach him at 601-445-3540 or scott.hawkins@natchezdemocrat.com.