Election season is officially underway in Dallas County. Qualifying for the 2016 municipal elections started on Tuesday, meaning anyone wanting to run has until July 19 to register for office and officially qualify for the office they are running for.

On the upcoming ballot will be the mayor’s office and city council positions in Selma, Valley Grande and Orrville, as well as spots on the Selma City Board of Education.

Based on the amount of conversation online and around the city, we’re hoping to see long lines at the polls on election day in August. Luckily, for those that aren’t registered to vote, there’s still about a month to do so.

The last day to register is Aug. 8, just over two weeks before the election.

There’s never a reason for there to be low voter turnout anywhere, but especially in Selma where the fight for voting rights took center stage in the 1960s. This is an important election season for Dallas County’s future and everyone deserves a stake into which direction it goes.

Do yourself a favor — and Selma and Dallas County a favor — and get registered to vote before it’s too late. Everybody deserves to have their voice heard in August.