Since January, we’ve all known a vacancy on the Selma City Council, the one representing Ward 3, would need to be filled. And, we’ve debated the issue on whether or not it was a good idea for a special election to be called in lieu of the city council appointing someone to serve out the remaining months.

Since March, we’ve known the dates for the absentee ballot deadline, voter registration deadline, the date for candidates to qualify and the dates for the election and the possible runoff.

Since April, we’ve known the candidates who would seek the office and had our chances to ask them questions, pick apart their positions and decide on who to vote for.

In late May we went to the polls and narrowed the field of eight candidates to just two — Greg Bjelke and Gwen Brown.

We know them; we know their positions and no doubt, by now we know who we plan to vote for.

While we offer no endorsement today, we do endorse the process that was put in place to have the next representative for Ward 3 selected.

We applaud the mayor and council for coming to a decision that was not the easy way, but was the right way. The voters of Ward 3 deserved to have a say.

The city was forced to cut costs, enact a hiring freeze and trim other areas to help pay for the May 24 general election and the resulting runoff that will be held Tuesday.

In meeting with the two candidates, we applaud their community spirit and their willingness to step up and face the scrutiny that comes along with running for office in Selma. It is not a path many choose, and it is not a path many have endured well.

Tuesday will — thankfully — put an end to this election process and fill out the city council and provide much-needed representation for Selma’s most historic and socially and economically diverse ward.

Now, just as it should be, the balance of power in this representative form of government shifts to the more than 2,000 registered voters of Selma’s Ward 3.

Let’s hope they wield that power responsibility and go vote.