It's appropriate at this time to commend all registered voters who have taken time to familiarize themselves with the list of candidates who will be on their ballot in Tuesday's general election. Likewise, it is the right time to remind registered voters who haven't that there still is time for that important preparatory exercise.

Unfortunately, some people downplay the importance of what some people refer to as "off year" elections, because the elections are not dominated by statewide or federal offices. However, such elections are very important because they elect the government leaders who, by virtue of their offices, are closest to the people.

It is "off year" elections that are the vehicle for electing school board members, borough and city council members, township supervisors and commissioners, and county row officers, common pleas court and district judges, and sheriffs — as well as numerous other officials. Therefore, while it is important to know who is running for county and school board positions, it also is very important to be knowledgeable about the people seeking those other positions.

Tuesday's election also has an unusual element, spawned by the well-deserved controversy over July's legislative pay raise. The voters will decide whether two Supreme Court justices whose decisions helped pave the way for lawmakers' legislative shenanigans should be retained for new 10-year terms. Those two justices, Russell Nigro and Sandra Newman, should be resoundingly rejected.

The registered voters who have been following — or who have chosen to become directly involved in — the outrage being sent Harrisburg's way in response to the middle-of-the-night pay-raise action on July 7 merit praise, as do voters who have transformed their anger into determination to be much more informed about the qualifications of everyone else seeking office.

Hopefully, Tuesday will be an eye-opening experience, not only in terms of voter preparation but also in terms of election turnout.

The biggest, most-positive result of Tuesday's election would be a signal from the voters that, more than ever before, they are determined that genuine public servants, rather than servants-of-self, be selected to fill the important offices of government at all levels. The pay-raise fiasco occurred in part due to the lack of such determination in the past.