Crunch time has arrived in this dizzying and impassioned General Election campaign season. With only about 10 days to go before Election Day, candidates and voters must double down on their responsibilities. And those responsibilities are many.

For candidates at all local, state and federal levels, Responsibility No. 1 must be to keep campaigns clean through this critical final two weeks of voting and past the finish line. That means focusing on policy issues and not smear tactics against opponents.

It also means telling the truth. Even though lying, by itself, does not automatically lose protection as free speech in political advertising, it reeks in sleaze and fails to get its intended results among a responsible and informed electorate.

Finally, once the votes are in and counted, candidates from the president on down to local dog catcher races should accept the results win or lose. After all, despite massive misinformation percolating across social media and on extremist websites, election fraud is extremely rare.

In fact, a recent study by the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation concluded that over the past decade, only 1,500 cases of bona fide election fraud have been proven within the entire United States. In recent years, updates in voting machinery and new policies to maximize voter security have made the potential for such abuse even more rare.

Voters, too, must share the onus of responsible citizenship. A large part of that responsibility lies in avoiding the insulting label of “low-information voter.” These are the voters who are easily swayed by the propaganda of a slick 30-second campaign spot or who never deviate from their own political party lines — logic be damned.

Such voters invest little time researching candidates, analyzing their platforms and comparing their policy initiatives against those of their opponents.

For decision-making on local and state candidates and issues, responsible voters can find numerous vehicles for making informed choices, not the least of which is this very newspaper. Throughout this campaign season, the Tribune Chronicle has published detailed stories that examine in depth the backgrounds, qualifications, achievements and goals of candidates in every major race in the Mahoning Valley.

In addition, this newspaper’s Editorial Board also has invested considerable time and resources in interviewing candidates in key races and then making thoughtful endorsements. For those stories and editorials, visit www.tribtoday.com.

At all costs, voters must weed out massive amounts of disinformation. Just this week, the FBI and the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a joint public service announcement warning voters in national races to beware of fake national news websites mimicking the likes of The Washington Post and Fox News that have been launched by the likes of Russia and Iran.

In addition to seeking out credible sources for election information, voters also must ensure they cross all their t’s and dot all their i’s when it comes to the process of voting.

One key decision clearly is the choice to vote early or wait until Election Day. Some argue early voting protects an individual’s franchise in the event of a personal emergency or community calamity come Nov. 5. Others argue waiting until Election Day allows citizens the opportunity to weigh any key revelations and potential decision-changing developments in the final days of campaign season.

If voting early in person at boards of elections offices on Oak Hill Avenue in Youngstown or Youngstown Road in Warren, expanded hours into the early evening are offered in the final days. Saturday voting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday voting 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. are offered this weekend and next. Unlike previous years, no early voting will be available Nov. 4, the day before Election Day.

Voters must also ensure they have their proper photo IDs in place when heading to the board offices or to the polls. The only acceptable documents are state-issued driver’s licenses or IDs, a military ID or a passport.

For those who chose to order absentee ballots, mail them back immediately after voting. Any ballot postmarked after Nov. 4 or that does not arrive at the board by Nov. 9 will not be counted.

That outcome must be avoided, considering that your single vote can make or break a candidate’s victory or defeat. Even more importantly, though, responsible voting ranks as one of the hallmark traits of solid citizenship, a quality all Americans should strive to embody and never surrender.