Election season arrives full force

As the signs popping up around the area attest to so plainly, it

is election season again in Newport-Mesa.

For most of us in the newsroom, it’s one of the most exciting --

not to mention just plain fun -- times of the year. We get to find

out about city leaders and would-be leaders. We get to discuss who

will win and by how much. We look forward to election night, where

news comes in fast, changes even faster and then, by the end of the

night, usually switches one last time completely.

More than occasionally along the way, we find out dramatic

information that can swing an election one way or another.

But the coverage is about more than just who’s accusing who of

doing what. The important parts, for readers, begin this morning at 9

a.m. and will appear in Tuesday’s paper.

Today, the editorial board of the Daily Pilot will start meeting

with candidates for both city councils and the school board. These

meetings will form the central basis for our decisions on whom we

will endorse. Those endorsements will appear later this month on our

Forum pages.

We held similar meetings two years ago, including sit-downs with

proponents of both Measure S and Measure T. And -- while every time

we put forth a bit of self-aggrandizing prose we get slammed by a

bunch of readers -- I’ll risk writing this: I found these meetings to

be solid proof that what we do is important. The candidates came in

wanting to talk about the issues. We entered wanting to listen.

I assure readers that the board enters these meetings with no set

agenda about who we will endorse. While certainly we are more

familiar with some candidates than others, it is entirely possible

that a person we don’t know well will strike the right notes with us

and get our support.

So, for three plus hours during the next three days, we will be

meeting with the people who want to be your leaders. Really, really,

you don’t have to thank us.

The other part of our coverage will be more than apparent in

Tuesday’s paper. That day we begin our candidates profiles, so

readers can learn a little bit more about the people who want their

vote.

Providing such information is, of course, among the most important

contributions we can make to the community because these decisions

will end up affecting voters more than any other.

We hope they help you choose wisely.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He can be reached at (949)

574-4233 or by e-mail at steven.cahn@latimes.com.