Column: Primary election is here

The primary is just four weeks away, and the R-E newsroom is in full gear preparing for this and the general election.

Here are few of things readers should know:

Campaign coverage

Providing fair and balanced coverage is always tricky. We will cover local debates. We consider them news.

We will steer away, however, from writing personality profiles of city, county and school candidates. Instead, we will stick to the question-and-answer format we've used in recent years; we pose the questions with help from our Readers' Board members, and candidates answer in their own words.

Readers have responded well to this simple strategy that allows them to compare the candidates and their answers side by side.

Feature stories or profiles are more subjective because a reporter — not the candidate — is conveying the message. We figure that local voters have plenty of opportunities to assess the personalities of local candidates themselves and decide whom to support.

We may write profiles of candidates for federal office if opportunities arise. Fewer citizens have opportunities for face-to-face discussions with such politicians.

Write-in candidates

The R-E staff can't begin to guess who might launch a write-in campaign. It's up to such candidates to contact us.

Our staff will send out question-and-answer forms to those candidates listed on the official ballot. Anyone else must request a form before Sept. 25.

Deadline for letters

We remind readers that the deadline for letters to the editor introducing any new issue about the primary election or school referendum is 5 p.m. Monday.

This early deadline will give us time to publish these letters and then allow others time to respond. All letters about this election are due by 5 p.m. Aug. 29.

The primary, of course, is Sept. 9. We will not print election letters that day.

Web site

The R-E will unveil a voters' headquarters soon on our Web site. We envision the link at the top of the homepage will put voters one click away from basic information about candidates.

If you have any questions or suggestions about our election coverage, please call. We have committed ourselves to helping voters be as informed as possible.

Readers can reach Anne Jacobson at annej@republican-eagle.com or (651) 301-7870.

Tags: opinion, column, anne, jacobson, republican, eagle, election, coverage