Our view: Be an informed voter (we can help)

Tribal elections, municipal elections, and the big ones — for congress and president — are dominating the news this late summer and will intensify as we get closer to Nov. 3.

There will be rallies, mailings, conventions, debates, and more mailings. You’ll be inundated with television ads and radio announcements. The Pine Knot News will publish all kinds of election information, from articles informing people how and where to vote, to published candidate responses to our questions.

Although it was starting to look like it wasn’t going to happen, once again CAT-7 will host local candidate forums, probably in conjunction with the Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce, WKLK radio and the Pine Knot News.

All this information is designed to inform you and influence your vote. Special interest groups will use emotion and logic to persuade you that their issue is very important, and that their side of the issue is the correct one. Fortunately, many different sides of issues will be presented, so voters should have a good amount of information to make their decisions.

But not all information is reliable. We caution you to be discerning when evaluating spurious claims, outrageous attacks, and gossip-like innuendo. All sides do it, unfortunately, and we wish they wouldn’t. Still, there will be plenty of opportunities to listen to the candidates and educate yourself.

This past week, the Carlton County Republicans held a rally and picnic at Veterans Park, and in a few weeks, the Carlton County DFL will host a drive-in chili rally, all featuring candidates for federal, state and local offices. Such intimate settings are a great way to hear from your party or candidate and, if past experience prevails, each party will welcome members of the other side, as long as everyone remains respectful.

We applaud this engagement. These are important and unusual times, and a heightened awareness of the upcoming elections can only benefit our society.

The Pine Knot News promises to deliver comprehensive information on local elections and issues to help you, the voter, plan your vote.

It’s up to you to process that information and make informed choices in November (or earlier if you vote by absentee or mail ballot).