As Americans, we enjoy the right to elect leaders in our government. It’s a privilege many of us participate in every election cycle.

We also have the opportunity to hold public office — a chance few take.

If you’ve ever considered running for the Powell City Council, Park County Commission, Wyoming Legislature or another office, now’s your chance.

One month from today (Tuesday), the filing period will open for county, city, state and federal offices.

For the city of Powell, council seats are available in all three wards. To see which ward you live in, look at the online map at www.cityofpowell.com/assets/pdf/ward.pdf.

At the county level, three of five seats on the Park County Commission are up for election. Every public office in the county — sheriff, treasurer, county clerk, assessor, prosecuting attorney, clerk of district court and coroner — will be on the ballot this year.

For the state of Wyoming, offices on the 2014 ballot include the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction. In the Legislature, representatives in every district are up for election, and Senate seats in odd-numbered districts will be on the ballot.

We believe candidates benefit from competition, and hope to see diverse viewpoints brought to the various races.

We also would encourage women to consider running for office. While local women serve on boards governing Northwest College, the Powell Hospital District and Park County School District No. 1, no women currently serve on the Powell City Council or the Park County Commission. Rep. Elaine Harvey, R-Lovell, is the sole female from the Big Horn Basin serving in the Wyoming Legislature.

Only one woman from Park County has ever been elected to the Legislature. Peggy June Adams Shreve was elected in 1978 and went on to serve for 20 years. She died in 2012, leaving a legacy as the first and only female legislator from Park County.

On the Powell City Council, the last woman to serve was LuAnn Borders, whose term ended 10 years ago.

The filing period for county, city, state and federal offices opens May 15 and closes May 30.

If you want to run for the Powell council, you can file at City Hall. Folks interested in a county office can file at the Park County Clerk’s Office.

Candidates for statewide and legislative offices can file online at soswy.state.wy.us or at the Secretary of State’s Office in Cheyenne.

More information and forms for the various offices can be found online at http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Elections.aspx

If you’d like to serve on a board overseeing a local district — such as the conservation, fire, hospital, museum, cemetery, college or school districts — the filing period will open Aug. 6.

Decisions that directly impact your neighborhood, your finances, your children’s education and your community are made by folks who decided to run for a public office.

You have that chance, too.