ÍáÍáÂþ»­

We are in the midst of the 2024 election season. The newspapers and television stations of Forum Communications have provided and will continue to provide news and analysis of local, state and federal races across the Upper Midwest.

Our readers can find all of our election coverage and information in the " Election 2024 " section of our websites. In addition, our company has partnered with Vote 411 and the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota to create a useful

Every election has consequences, and 2024 is no different. The choices of voters will impact our collective future — individually and as a country.

So over the next several weeks, Forum Communications Co. management, the company's Editorial Advisory Board and local newspaper editorial boards will provide political endorsements on various local, state and federal contests.

FCC makes endorsements for candidates and issues because our leadership believes newspapers play a crucial role in democracy by sharing information and informed ideas. During election season, a paper's editorial board evaluates and interviews candidates for various offices. The newspaper's editorial board may then write an endorsement recommending a candidate or issue preference in a specific race.

Local editorial endorsement decisions are made by a newspaper's management and its editorial board. At larger newspapers, community members and newspaper editors are included. At smaller newspapers, it may be the publisher or site manager and an editor. Editorial board members may be listed on the opinion page of the newspaper.

In statewide and federal races, the Forum Communications Co. Editorial Advisory Board will make a recommendation based on research, coverage and candidate information. After company leadership reviews and approves those recommendations, individual members of the company's Editorial Advisory Board will craft a company endorsement.

These decisions are guided by the Forum Communications Company Mission Statement:
We strive to provide information that truly matters to the people of our state and region. Our highest priority is public service — shining light on issues that deeply affect our communities and holding local and state governments and institutions accountable. We feel we have a responsibility to give readers diverse opinions that are broad and fair. In endorsements, we favor business-friendly candidates who stand for government that is not overly intrusive, with regulations that prudently balance costs and benefits. We also prefer candidates who work to solve problems while avoiding divisive posturing.

Our editorial endorsement goal is not to tell voters who to vote for or to pick the winner in any specific election. In some races, there may not be an endorsement for either candidate.

Our newspaper aims to share the editorial board's view about the candidates running for political office. This endorsement recommendation is sincere and far more truthful than many political ads you will read or hear in the coming weeks.

Any specific endorsement is simply the editorial board's insight into which candidate it believes will best serve the voters and residents of a specific local, state or federal district.

The final decision always remains with each voter when they complete their early or absentee ballot or enter the voting booth on Nov. 5. Please exercise your basic American right in 2024 — vote.

Readers may respond to this commentary or any editorial endorsements by writing to this email address:

Macy Moore / Tribune photo

This commentary column was written by Kelly Boldan, the editor/site manager of the West Central Tribune of Willmar, Minnesota. He is a member of the Forum Communications Co. Editorial Advisory Board and the West Central Tribune Editorial Board.