State primaries can be lackluster, but not this year on the Cape and Islands, where the retirement of several incumbent office holders has sparked competitive and substantive races.

The challenge will be getting voters to the polls.

To avoid having an election the day after Labor Day, the state took the unusual step of scheduling the primary on Thursday instead of the traditional first Tuesday in September.

That’s too bad because there are some important choices to be made on the ballot this week. Five Democrats are running for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Timothy Madden. The winner of that primary will face two independent candidates in November. The seat now held by Sen. Dan Wolf has primary competition on both the Republican and Democratic sides, with two candidates vying against each other in each party.

There is also a Democratic contest for county sheriff, another open seat due to the retirement of longtime sheriff Michael McCormack. And an equally lively race is shaping up for register of deeds, where four Democrats are on the primary ballot to fill the seat left open by register Dianne Powers, who is also retiring.

A voter’s guide appears online this week, where candidates speak to their qualifications and weigh in on the issues, in their own words. The guide was prepared based on a customized questionnaire emailed to candidates by the Gazette.

Following longstanding tradition, the newspaper is not endorsing candidates. But at a time when confidence in the political process is so low it is heartening to see so many engaged candidates.

In their responses to the questionnaire, all the candidates present themselves as well educated and well versed on the issues that matter to the Cape and Islands. Their backgrounds run the gamut from business to politics. The opiate crisis, affordable housing and protection of natural resources were repeatedly named as priority issues.

Now it will be up to voters to decide.

Polls are open in every Island town on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Remember to vote, and remind your friends. Your choice matters.