For all but the most hard-core political junkies, combing over a ballot can be a daunting task.

In next month’s primary election, for instance, Republican voters will need to choose between 10 candidates for the U.S. Senate while Democrats will pick between an even half-dozen. And then there’s a host of other races down the ballot.

However, the good news is that, particularly in our lowly populated state, local voters can easily learn about the people seeking elected office.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Park County Republican Women hosted candidate forums at parks in Powell and Cody — and if you missed the events in-person, you can watch video recordings of the forums anytime on the group’s Facebook page.

Local voters will have another golden opportunity to hear directly from candidates this coming Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Washington Park. The Powell Economic Partnership/Powell Chamber is hosting a meet and greet and forum from 5-8 p.m. for a host of candidates ranging from federal to local offices. (For more information, click here.)

But if you can’t make next week’s event, remember that our local candidates are generally pretty easy to get in touch with. As PEP/Powell Chamber Executive Director Rebekah Burns recently put it, “a huge benefit for citizens and business owners living in Wyoming is the access we have with our legislators.”

It doesn’t stop with lawmakers, either: County commission and council candidates and other local elected officials are usually just a phone call or email away. You can find contact information at www.bit.ly/3hKHA2r. In Powell, you might run into them at the grocery store, too.

The Tribune has been profiling candidates for office and you can find all our election-related coverage online at www.bit.ly/3hI5c7Y. The Tribune will also publish an online election guide on Aug. 13, which will consolidate all of the coverage into one convenient package.

If you’re looking for information about candidates for Congress, Wyoming PBS has hosted multiple debates — and they’re all accessible for on-demand viewing on the station’s YouTube page. Additionally, multiple media outlets around the state have profiled the congressional candidates and the League of Women Voters of Wyoming has compiled a nonpartisan voter guide, featuring the U.S. Senate and House candidates’ responses to various questions. That guide can be found online at www.bit.ly/335WJr4.

Of course, anyone can talk a good game during an election year, so you may need to do some more homework.

If a candidate has previously served as an elected official, how was their job performance? Did they make any costly mistakes or waste taxpayer dollars? Did they work diligently to represent their constituents? Did they uphold your values?

It is fairly easy to research Wyoming lawmakers, as their voting records are readily accessible at the Legislature’s website. At www.wyoleg.gov, you can see what legislators voted on and how.

We would also encourage you to show some skepticism toward the various special interest groups offering their endorsements of and critiques on candidates. Some political action committees from industry groups seem to automatically back incumbents while some advocacy groups tend to use more innuendo and spin than facts. In fact, some groups might not even tell you all the candidates running.

When Wyoming Gun Owners released its overview of the race for House District 24, it framed it as a two-person race between Rep. Sandy Newsome, R-Cody, and challenger Nina Webber — failing to mention that former Rep. Scott Court is on the ballot.

Similarly, the blog Evidence Based Wyoming gave an overview of Senate District 18 that, while offering takes on candidates Tim French, Stefanie Bell and Rep. David Northrup, left Richard Jones off the list.

In short, the best, most reliable information about local races comes from local and primary sources — and nothing is a substitute for doing your own research.

While voting is critical, so is casting an informed vote.