One of the greatest duties of any American citizen is to take part in the election process. The people and propositions we vote on determine the shape of our democracy and help forge laws on a local, state and national level.

In short, The Times encourages everyone to vote, plain and simple. And with ballots hitting the mail this week, it’s a message we hope everyone who reads this newspaper takes to heart.

Putting aside the partisanship and hotly debated topics, this election has a lot riding on it. In Fountain Hills, we’re being asked to weigh in on who we want to represent us across the county, state and all the way up to the presidency. There are a couple propositions thrown in for good measure, which would unquestionably have an impact on Arizona’s future.

We’ve already run several stories breaking down the parts of the ballot that most impact Fountain Hills voters and will continue to offer additional stories and details leading up to Election Day.

Get informed, fill out your ballot and be sure to return it on time. For a refresher on the basics for this year’s election, see our story on page 2A.