It’s September. Schools are back. The 9/11 terrorism attack 25th anniversary is next week. The ballots for the Nov. 3 midterm election will arrive in homes in four weeks. A summer that has been too hot slips into fall.

It won’t be a quiet fall.

National news will likely be the same: confusing, opinionated, subject to endless soundbite criticisms or support, and colored either blue or red by thousands of correspondents, political spokespersons and influencers whose own credentials and integrity are unknown. The blue camp will celebrate every Trump critic, and the reds will celebrate every mention that everything bad anywhere is Bidens, or Canada’s fault.

Locally, we will have our own challenges in sorting through who to vote for.

Fortunately, our local officials don’t run with partisan labels. The offices themselves are officially defined as nonpartisan. While advocates from both sides want to make these races partisan our ballots will not indicate the affiliation of our local candidates.

That a very good thing.

We don’t care if the road we drive on is built and maintained by a democratic city council or a republican council. We only want it to be safe. We don’t care if the cop or fireman is a liberal or a conservative. We just want them to protect us when necessary and to protect the quality of life in our schools, neighborhoods and business centers.

So given that, what will the 300,393 registered voters Stanislaus County (as of last June), have before us this November?

There will be 13 partisan offices on the ballot, including seven statewide candidate races. There will be another 7 district elections (congress, state legislators etc.) where parts of the district are in our county, and one statewide nonpartisan office (superintendent of public instruction).

That’s just the start:

— 14 statewide ballot measures will also be on the ballot, including the ‘billionaire tax’ and several other significant policy issues on health care and taxes.

— 22 individual city offices, with a total of 50 candidates, are up in the nine cities within the county.

— 21 school trustee offices are up. Those contests have drawn 40 candidates.

— There are 12 special district offices to be filled (Modesto Irrigation district; Salida Fire etc.) to be filled by local voters.

— There are also six local bond or tax measures for county voters who live in certain districts.

So, get ready.

Sorting through the local candidate options can be difficult. Here’s some questions that might help inform your decisions:

• If the candidate is an incumbent, ask them what they have done…and that they please be specific.
• If the candidate is challenging an incumbent ask them what the incumbent has done that they would do differently, again with detail.
• Incumbents have voting records. It’s fair to ask them why the supported or opposed a particular measure, and it also fair to ask the challenger how they would vote on the same issue.

Turlock’s mayor and two council members are on the ballot in November. The city’s finances and operations have been dramatically improved over recent years. Their challengers need to say why they would do a better job…and give you reasons that make sense.

Here’s one that doesn't make the cut in local nonpartisan offices: “Vote for me because I’m a Democrat and she’s a Republican…or “Vote for me because I’m a Republican and she’s Democrat!” Tell that voter that you want the city to work well and that partisan affiliation doesn't and shouldn’t matter in city hall. (By the way, in most cases the candidate or volunteer person knocking on your door knows your party affiliation. It’s on the list, iPhone or iPad they’re carrying. Some will alter their message accordingly. So, beware.)

Get ready for the mailers, the ads, the social media hype and the constant barrage of information coming our way. Democracy is messy. But it’s really the best form of government the planet has ever seen.