It’s been an election year unlike any other. And at last, after months – in some cases years – of planning and campaigning, the finish line is now fully in sight.

Just days before Nov. 3, thousands of Cranstonians have already cast their ballots. Some have done so early and in-person at City Hall, while many others have sent back their mail ballots through the Postal Service or drop boxes.

This year’s election is enormously consequential for Cranston. The city is electing a new mayor for the first time in 12 years, and the majority of seats on the City Council are being contested. A number of bond questions seek significant local investments in key areas – the largest being a $147 million request for improvements to school buildings – while four proposed amendments to the city’s charter would make substantive alterations to Cranston’s governing document.

We’ve shared our views in this space on the school bond and the charter amendments. We have chosen not to take a stance on any of the other races or questions, as we have done in some years past.

Instead, we ask only that voters consider their choices carefully and exercise their franchise in whatever way they feel most comfortable – on Election Day, early and in person, or by mail. We hope our coverage of the issues and candidates has been of value as voters evaluate their options.

We believe Cranston voters are fortunate to have a slate of high-quality candidates from which to choose this year. That goes for mayor and the various City Council seats.

None of the seven seats on the School Committee are contested, and while this is would certainly seem to represent a vote of confidence in the current committee members, we would be remiss not to express our hope that it is not a sign of disengagement or apathy.

Perhaps the next slate of municipal officers might consider whether providing some compensation to School Committee members for their service – which entails a major time commitment and a great deal of scrutiny – is an idea whose time has finally come. The next mayor and council, after all, will see their own pay increase come January.

In the mayoral contest, Republican Citywide Councilman Ken Hopkins and Democratic former Ward 4 councilwoman Maria Bucci have each made a compelling, if at times broad, case to voters. Each appears well liked by the community at large, and each has demonstrated a commitment to the city and its residents through their service.

It seems to us the choice is ultimately a relatively simple one, and it mirrors the way the candidates have framed the race themselves – nearly total continuity from the administration of Mayor Allan Fung, as Hopkins advocates, or a change that embraces aspects of the current mayor’s record while charting some new course, which Bucci says she represents. We are anxious to see which path voters choose to follow.

For City Council, our conversations and experiences with the various candidates suggest the city will be well served regardless of who emerges victorious. To be sure, there are clear differences in terms of policy and even approach. In some ways, the contrast presented in the mayoral race is mirrored on the council level.

The emergence of a qualified, dedicated field of candidates is especially welcome this year, given how much experience the city’s government will lose in the next term with the departure of Fung and several members of the council. We applaud all of the hopefuls for their willingness to enter the public arena, and we wish all of them the best moving forward, regardless of where the results come down.

Most of all, we thank each and every Cranstonian who takes part in our democratic process. Civic engagement is crucial to the continued success and prosperity of our city, as it is to our state and our country. We hope this cycle produces the kind of record voter turnout that has been anticipated – and that it sets a new benchmark for all the election years to come.