With the Aug. 4 primary election quickly approaching and the November general election just over four months away, it’s critical to research the races, candidates and issues on the ballot before heading to the polls.

And while it can sometimes feel overwhelming to research each item on a ballot — especially when it comes to the numerous smaller local races — there are resources available to help voters make informed decisions.

One such resource is the voters’ guide at vote411.org, a nonpartisan informational website that the national League of Women Voters launched in 2006.

It provides voters with personalized information about their polling place, voter registration status and what will be on their ballots for the upcoming election.

Beyond these items, the guide also provides detailed information about the candidates, races and proposals that voters will see on their ballots.

It even allows voters to view candidate background and biographical information, as well as compare candidate responses side by side to a set of questions prepared by the league.

We believe this online resource is especially critical in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many of the usual voter information events and candidate town halls won’t be taking place this year.

“There’s less rallies being held, so people have less opportunity to get that information. And so this guide really will provide them with a way to find out about a candidate (in a way) that they might not be otherwise able to do,” League of Women Voters of Marquette County President Darlene Allen said in a Wednesday Journal article about the guide.

The guide is the product of many hours of volunteer work, Allen told the Journal, and we commend those volunteers for making this information accessible to voters, as an informed populace is critical to the well-being of our democracy.

We encourage all voters to use this tremendously valuable resource in advance of the election to ensure that they informed about the issues and candidates.

We would also like to use this space to remind all eligible residents to make sure they are registered to vote and exercise their right to do so, as every vote is critical in shaping the future at local, state and national levels.

To view the guide and learn more, visit vote411.org.