In the days leading up to the start of voting at 7 a.m. today, Democratic and Republican party leaders in Butler County weren't anticipating long lines at the polling places.

Despite some pockets of potential interest, this has been a quiet campaign period; the candidate signs along area roads haven't done much to spark excitement among rank-and-file voters, despite candidates' qualifications.

Compared with last year's party primaries, when presidential nominations and state and federal legislative nominations were up for grabs, this year's primary season merited the description "quiet time."

Unfortunately, the "quiet time" description belies the importance of the election. Many voters ignore the importance of "off-year" elections, failing to notice or acknowledge that the offices on the ballots in such elections are the offices closest to them. And being closest to the voters, these local offices often have a greater impact on voters' daily lives than high-profile national posts.

Even though many Butler Eagle readers do not receive their newspaper until late afternoon, there still is plenty of time to react positively to this election reminder. The polls won't be closing until 8 p.m., which leaves an adequate window of time to enjoy supper and discuss the election prior to driving to the local polling site.

Registered voters should not ignore their right — and responsibility — to be a part of the election process.

Voters must remember that this balloting is to determine the respective parties' nominees for the Nov. 3 general election. Voters should be determined to put whom they perceive to be the most qualified candidates on the November ballot — and that requires a trip to the polling place.

Low turnouts cannot be seen as necessarily providing a true picture of the voters' perceptions as to who best could serve their community — either in a city, borough or township capacity or as a member of a school board.

A couple of exceptions to what has qualified as a dull campaign is the Republican contest for the county sheriff nomination and a supervisors campaign in Clinton Township.

Slippery Rock Township voters' main focus probably will be on a pair of referendums dealing with allowing alcohol-related businesses in the township.

Contests for state appellate court nominations generated very little interest among county voters leading up to Election Day, and it's safe to conclude that many of the voters who have gone — or who will be going — to the polls today will select a candidate from a nearby county rather than a candidate from across the state.

That's not the right basis for making a selection, but unfortunately it happens much too often.

It is to be hoped that the five candidates vying for a district judge seat covering Cranberry Township and Seven Fields will help spark some extra interest in a part of the county that traditionally records a low turnout.

"I hope to see a (countywide) turnout of 30 percent, but I have my doubts," said Regis Young, Butler County director of elections.

Art Rauschenberger, chairman of the county's Republican Committee, was more optimistic, predicting a turnout "at a low end of 30 (percent) and a high end of maybe 40 (percent)." However, it would seem, based on what occurred and what did not occur during the campaign, that high-end number probably is way beyond the reaches of reality.

People risk their lives to vote in some countries. Registered voters in this country — and, unfortunately, in Butler County too — too often offer feeble excuses as to why they opt not to go to the polls.

This has the makings of a boring election. Hopefully that observation will be proven wrong.