We have entered a month of two full moons: Thursday night, October 1 and the second — the “blue” moon — on October 31, Halloween night.

If you’re afraid of creatures of the night, this might be the month to take cover. But something far scarier than goblins and ghoulies lurks in the edges of October: the countdown to elections.

Choosing the candidates to represent our town is a frightening task. At the local level, this can be exceptionally fraught, as people we bump into (socially distanced, of course) daily, weekly, or monthly are the same ones challenging each other as they vie for votes. They are good people. They are talented and dependable, they are determined and motivated, whether currently holding office or hoping for a chance to prove themselves. How to decide who will do the better job can be frustrating.

You can go the political party route, of course. Or maybe you have taken the time to watch The Newtown Bee virtual Friday Forums. Zoom forums are not perfect, and would not be our first choice. But keeping community members, candidates, and staff of The Newtown Bee safe during this ongoing pandemic was our first priority, making our traditional Edmond Town Hall forum not possible this year. We also take seriously the responsibility of keeping readers informed so that all can make educated decisions.

Beginning on September 11 with questions presented to Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan of the 2nd District and challenger Dan Carter, these Friday noontime conversations (available at newtownbee.com and also on our YouTube channel) provide viewers with the opportunity to learn where these campaigners stand on some of the important issues. We spoke with District 28 challenger Michelle McCabe and incumbent Senator Tony Hwang on September 18, and presented the Q&A with 106th District Representative Mitch Bolinsky and Rebekah Harriman-Stites, who would like the chance to represent Newtown at the state level, on September 25. The October 2 Friday Forum features conversation with unchallenged incumbent Representative JP Sredzinski of the 112th District.

We regret that time constraints made it impossible to pose more questions: What inequities exist in Newtown’s education system? Should the state loan Eversource $700 million? Do actions and inactions at the national level affect us at the local level? How supportive are you of the governor’s executive orders to date regarding the novel coronavirus? How do constituents’ needs in Newtown differ from those statewide? Time does not prevent you from posing these questions, or any others you may have, to the candidates through their various websites. If you need answers, seek them out.

We hope you will take time to view any of the Friday Forums you may have missed. It is a jumping-off point to learn who the people are who want to represent us. The more you hear and read, the more you learn. The more you learn, the less scary becomes the task of making a decision.

Let the month end with a good “Boo!” and not a “Boo-hoo” of indecision. Vote. Vote for the best person to represent Newtown — and make sure that you have cast a vote that counts by Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.