Early voting gets underway Friday as local residents can begin going to the polls to decide key races around Warren County.

In an effort to get voters better acquainted with the candidates, the Southern Standard and WCPI are continuing our longstanding tradition of holding political forums.

This Monday, the candidates vying for Circuit Court Judge and District Attorney General are scheduled to appear at a political forum to be held at Warren County Administrative Offices. Start time is 6:30 p.m.

Bart Stanley, the incumbent Circuit Court Judge, and challenger Scott Horton will square off in one segment. Lisa Zavogiannis, the incumbent District Attorney, and challenger Chris Stanford will discuss key issues in another.

Also on the agenda are candidates for three School Board seats which are up for grabs. James Bennett and Diane Starkey are vying for the 1st District School Board seat, while Sue Anderson, Chris Cope and James T. Jacobs are in the running for the 5th District seat. Larry Judkins faces no opposition in the 3rd District.

Candidates for County Executive, Sheriff and 43rd District State House were featured in a political forum in June.

“These are important races that will help shape our county for years so we hope voters get a chance to know the candidates and make an informed decision,” said Standard publisher Patricia Zechman. “We had a great crowd for our forum in June and we hope for a similar turnout on Monday night.”

Candidates will be given the chance to make opening and closing statements and be asked general questions in between.