EDITORIAL: Sometimes, political silence is golden

You won’t see Brent Regan’s op-ed column next week. Or one from North Idaho Republicans. 

Local Democratic Party leader Evan Koch? He’ll be missing in action next Wednesday, as well.

These passionate, political partisans were given advance notice that they’ll be on vacation the week before the May 21 primary election. What you see on A5 today from the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee and from North Idaho Republicans is their final volley before voters have the last word. Same goes for Mr. Koch’s mid-week column.

Why? The home stretch of any election — and in Kootenai County, primaries consistently serve as general elections because of the preponderance of Republican voters — can be replete with last-minute shots that opponents don’t have time or venue to answer. Creating a little space between an election and full-throated politicking by party officials and political organizations is good for the democratic process.

However, there’s still a little time for The People to make their pitch.

Today at 5 p.m. is the deadline for Press subscribers to submit their candidate endorsement letters. Letters must be no more than 275 words, though writers can endorse more than one candidate or a whole slate if they so choose. 

Be sure to include your name, your city of residence and your phone number. We’ll call if we have questions about your letter but your phone number won’t be published. Email your letter to: letters@cdapress.com

Next week we’ll publish as many election-related letters to the editor as space permits. In the meantime, we recommend that voters who haven’t made up their minds review two excellent sources: the Voter Guide publication and the Meet the Candidates videos on cdapress.com. 

Both provide unaltered messages from the candidates to the voters. Both have been lauded by readers and viewers regardless of political allegiance. 

For the videos, simply click on the Meet the Candidates tab at the top of the home page.

For the Voter Guide, click on the eEdition button — it might appear on the top right of your screen or the very bottom, depending upon the kind of device you’re using — and scroll down to Special Sections. Click on the Voter Guide and dive right in.

Voting is a cherished American right.

Informed voting is a responsibility.