EDITORIAL: Subscribers, help your favorite candidates

When one door closes, the saying goes, another opens.

Well, here’s a 3-fer. Now that Labor Day weekend is over, doors to autumn, back-to-school and the launch of election season all swing wide open.

Voters, that’s your cue.

Over the next two months, the editorial staff of The Press will inform you about the local races, but we also invite our customers to share their wealth of knowledge with others. An important and powerful piece of the political puzzle is citizens endorsing candidates.

Starting today until shortly before the election, we’ll publish candidate endorsement letters from Press subscribers only. If you’re new to this exercise, here are some rules:

• Letters can be no longer than 275 words.

• Only one candidate endorsement letter per writer, per election season is allowed. That means you can use 275 words to endorse one candidate, or as many candidates as you’d like — but you’re still limited to one, 275-word letter.

• From now to Nov. 8, letters from candidates will not be published.

• Letter-writing campaigns encouraged by candidates are discouraged. This opportunity for free advertising should come from readers who passionately support one or more candidates.

• Don’t wait long to submit your letter. Writers who wait until just a few days before the election risk not having their letters published at all.

The most effective letters give specific reasons why their chosen candidate(s) should receive voters’ support. The goal is to give readers as much information as possible to help them make the best decisions about whom to vote for, and people who have known the candidates for a long time often have insights not available to others.

So there you have it; the political ball is now in your court.

Subscribers, write your letter and email it to: letters@cdapress.com

Be sure your name, city of residence and telephone number are on the letter. Your phone number will not be published.

While we prefer letters to be emailed, hand-written and typed letters are allowed. Drop them off at The Press, 215 N. Second St. in downtown Coeur d’Alene, or mail them to:

Maureen Dolan, Managing Editor, Coeur d’Alene Press, 215 N. Second St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814