With the April 8 election for municipal and school board seats fast approaching, we encourage readers to take the time to learn about the candidates seeking election or re-election.

As always, the Call will publish questionnaires profiling the candidates in contested races. In today’s issue, we feature three candidates — Christopher Clegg, Daniel Sampson and Gary Ujka — who are seeking a two-year seat on the Lindbergh Board of Education.

We also urge readers to attend forums so they can see the candidates firsthand. We know of three forums that are scheduled:

• Lindbergh Board of Education candidates will meet during a forum at 7 p.m. today — March 13, in the boardroom of the district’s Early Childhood Education center, 4814 S. Lindbergh Blvd. Besides the three candidates seeking a two-year seat, five candidates are seeking three three-year seats on the board.

The five are: Cori Akins, board Vice President Don Bee, board member Vicki Lorenz Englund, Al Faulstich and board President Kathleen Kienstra.

• In Crestwood, former Ward 3 Alderman Gregg Roby is challenging Mayor Jeff Schlink. The two will meet during a candidate forum at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at the Community Center, 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane. The forum, sponsored by the Crestwood-Sunset Hills Area Chamber of Commerce, will be moderated by the League of Women Voters.

• Five candidates who are seeking three seats on the Mehlville Board of Education will meet during a forum at 7 p.m. Monday, March 24, at the Nottelmann Auditorium on the Mehlville Senior High School campus, 3200 Lemay Ferry Road.

The five are: board Treasurer Rich Franz, Randy L. Howard, Venki Palamand, Emma Jean Pretto and Samantha Stormer. Those at the forum can submit questions that evening or in advance by emailing them to Communications Director John Wolff at wolffj@mehlvilleschooldistrict.net.

As we said, we urge voters to take the time to research the candidates who are seeking to represent them.

Voters also should consider who is supporting a candidate. If a candidate is being supported by failed former board members who didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to seek re-election, we believe that speaks volumes about that person’s candidacy.

Most importantly, however, vote on Tuesday, April 8, because as President Abraham Lincoln once said, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”