EDITORIAL: Pssst: Here's your candidate info warehouse

Individual churches and evangelical groups are soliciting and posting information about candidates for the upcoming May 16 election.

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, which has unleashed biased questionnaires over the years that have paired with the group endorsing wholly unqualified candidates for dozens of elected positions, is at it once again.

So where do you turn to find solid information about the candidates hoping to fill Community Library Network board, hospital board, highway district and other contested, nonpartisan positions? Information culled by a source that strives ardently to be as free of slant or bias as possible?

Thanks to the League of Women Voters of Kootenai County, you’ll turn to vote411.org starting April 20.

The League of Women Voters of Kootenai County, an active bunch whose goal is to increase voter knowledge, turnout and overall civic participation, has reached out to candidates for positions appearing on the May 16 ballot.

All but one candidate had responded when this editorial was written.

While school levies are highly publicized — and levy information will be posted on vote411.org — it’s difficult to find out the backgrounds and stances of people running for a library or highway district board, for instance — again, from a nonpartisan source. The League of Women Voters is helping fill that critical gap at vote411.org.

Starting this Thursday, the site will feature what local voters are looking for. In addition to info on the candidates and ballot measures, the website includes lots of other information and links important to prospective voters.

The Press applauds the League of Women Voters of Kootenai County for its commitment to fight misinformation, disinformation and no information with its voter guides.

We agree wholeheartedly with LWVKC member Lisa Schaff when she says, "Local governments affect voters even more than faraway national politics. These local elections are critical to our everyday life."

Keep your eye on this newspaper for lots of election information. And starting Thursday, you know where to turn for a wealth of online data to help you make the best-informed decisions.