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Before you head to the polls Nov. 7, make sure you are informed about the candidates and issues because the rural vote can make a difference.

"The importance of the rural vote can not be understated in this election. The outcome of many competitive statewide and legislative races could very well be decided by rural voters. And the new leaders we elect will oversee many of the issues that affect farmers, including regulatory permits, labor laws and taxes," said Marc Armstrong, OFBF’s director of constituent action.

To help Ohio Farm Bureau members sort through the candidates and issues, OFBF printed a comprehensive guide to the candidates and issues in the Oct. 9 issue of Buckeye Farm News.

OFBF also has updated election information at the Web site, www.ohioagriculturevotes.org. The Web site was created to provide farmers with information on state and federal issues as well as to encourage involvement in the political process.

Included on the Web site are ballot issues, election laws and the two gubernatorial candidates’ responses to questions posed by Ohio Farm Bureau. It also has a list of the candidates who have received OFBF’s "Friend of Agriculture" designation. These candidates are most often incumbents who have proven through their voting records that they understand and respond to Farm Bureau’s agenda for strengthening agriculture. In open seats, groups of county Farm Bureau leaders met the candidates, assessed their views and chose who best deserved the "Friend" designation.

In the Senate race, Republican Mike DeWine was designated a "Friend of Agriculture" as were Republicans Terrence O’Donnell and Robert Cupp in the state Supreme Court races. Thirteen received the "Friend of Agriculture" designation in the Congressional races, 11 in the Ohio Senate and 82 in the Ohio House.

On the ballot issues, Ohio Farm Bureau’s board of trustees urged members to vote against Issue 2, which would enact a constitutional amendment that raises the minimum wage and adjusts it upward annually. Trustees were concerned about the measure because the public would have access to personal employment data. It also would place burdensome recordkeeping requirements on employers and force them to release competitive information about their companies.

The board took no position on the other ballot issues.

"A lot is at stake in this year's election. Every statewide office will have a new executive and Ohio will have at least four new members in the U.S. House of Representatives. Voters will also be faced with ballot issues that include minimum wage, gambling and smoking," Armstrong said. "With so much riding on this election, it is important for voters to educate themselves on the candidates and issues and get to the polls."