The races for the N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals are the only statewide contests on the ballot this year, so it's key that voters across North Carolina have the facts on these candidates. The State Judicial Voter Guide does just that.

Our research shows that the number-one reason why qualified voters don't go to the polls on Election Day is not that they don't care, but that folks simply don't know enough about the candidates. The State Judicial Voter Guide goes a long way to empower voters with the facts they need to cast a confident ballot.

You don't have to be a celebrity. Even those of us who live a relatively simple life can make a real difference and improve our elections by saying yes to the Public Campaign Fund on our state income tax forms.

The more attention that's coming out of the trials and hearings, the more legislators are saying we need to take a look at this and fix some of these problems.

It's not like the governor or a Senate candidate is sucking all the money up.

The only big races that all North Carolinians will have to judge will be our court races. And they should be interesting.

Depending on how they turn out, you could see a dramatic shift in the experience, temperament and philosophy on the Supreme Court. The candidates in these races offer some very clear choices.