People need to get involved in political races and 2022 would be a great time to get seriously involved.

This next year will have a host of important elections, including to U.S. Congress, governor of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Legislature, Tulsa city offices, judges, school board races, county races and some very important ballot issues.

The first step is to register to vote. Then find out when there will be elections in your precincts. Then find about the candidates and the issues. That sometimes isn’t easy.

The first clue is the party affiliation. That’s not always trustworthy. For example, some registered Republicans don’t agree with much of the party platform. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

And in the so-called “nonpartisan races” – including district court judges, judicial retention votes and Tulsa municipal races – you have to do some work to find out the party affiliation. It shouldn’t matter with judges but unfortunately it usually does (there are exceptions, of course).

When you find a conservative candidate who is honest, donate to their campaign. Volunteer to help them. Tell your friends and family that you found a candidate who merits their supports. You can be fooled, but it is worth the risk.

The Tulsa Beacon attempts to supply all the factual information about local candidates in a timely manner. The Beacon will make recommendations on the editorial pages.

Again, this takes work. But our city, state and nation is worth it. And with the state of things being as it is, 2022 is a critical for voters to be informed and proactive.