In six days, four of Franklin’s seven city council seats will be up for grabs. Incumbents are running contested campaigns for the mayor’s at-large seat and for the seats representing Wards three and five. The sixth Ward incumbent is not running for reelection, and only one unchallenged candidate is on the ballot.

If we were handicapping the races, we’d predict that two of the four seats are likely to change hands.

The candidates have all claimed issues on which they want to make a difference. Not surprisingly, most have listed the same precious few: bettering the city’s educational quality, growing the number of available jobs and, according to some, lowering residential utility costs.

Few have indicated how they will personally affect change.

In perfect electoral situations, voters are afforded the luxury of candidates who are clearly defined by contrasting viewpoints and ideas. In this election, there is little ideological contrast to be found. As such, voters are only left to choose among whom they find most personable and whom they find most capable.

Because the direction the city ultimately takes rests in the hands of its voting citizens, we hope they will eschew the former unless the candidate is at the same time the latter.