News that the state attorney general’s office is investigating possible voter registration problems in Adams County is a sobering development as we approach the Nov. 4 general election, now just more than a week away.

No one is talking much about the investigation, but District 1 Supervisor Sammy Cauthen is alleging that several felons were registered to vote in the August primary and that 300 to 500 people voters were either registered to vote or moved to District 1 from January until the August primary.

It wasn’t clear this week, but the larger number of voters could simply be attributed to the changes after redistricting.

Whether the allegations prove true or not, we’re glad to see that the circuit clerk’s office and the Adams County Election Commission &045;&045; two offices not known of late for their cordiality to each other &045;&045; are cooperating with investigators.

The allegations are a reminder to all of those people involved with the election process in Adams County &045;&045; from candidates to voters, from local to state officials &045;&045; how important it is to keep the voting process clean.

Voting is a sacred thing, especially in a region where voting was a hard-fought right for so many people.

But it is a right and a process we must all work to protect, whether we are voters tempted to break the rules at the precinct or election officials and candidates charged with ensuring those rules are kept.