Read the candidates’ questionnaires

Western Triangle voters, it’s your turn. Raleigh, Cary and the Wake County school board held their elections in early October; now it’s time for the rest of us Triangleños to settle on our leaders.

In the following pages, the INDY offers its endorsements for the November elections in Durham, Orange and Chatham counties. Here are some commonly asked questions and their answers.

• When do I vote and in what races?

Early voting runs Thursday, Oct. 17 through Saturday, Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Durham voters will choose the mayor and city councilors in Wards 1, 2 and 3. (In Ward 1, Cora Cole-McFadden is running unopposed.)

Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Pittsboro, Hillsborough and many Wake County municipalities are also holding elections in November (but not Raleigh and Cary). Voters will also elect members to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School board.

• How do the recent changes to election laws affect my vote?

It’s important to note that the rollbacks to voting rights that were passed during the 2013 legislative session do not take effect this fall. You don’t need a photo ID to vote, and you can still register and cast a ballot on the same day during early voting. That said, be prepared to possibly confront election challenges by people who, under the guise of rooting out voter fraud, are merely trying to disenfranchise some groups from voting.

• How does the INDY conduct its endorsements?

The INDY sends questionnaires to all candidates (unless the candidate cannot be located, which does occasionally happen). INDY reporters also attend candidate forums, conduct background checks and study candidate websites and read news stories. Then the reporters and I meet to discuss the merits of the candidates and how their viewpoints align with the paper’s mission to build a just and progressive community.

We vote on whom to endorse. The vote does not have to be unanimous, only a majority. We do not endorse in uncontested races.

The reporters and I then write the endorsements. We don’t include bylines on the endorsements because these opinions represent the voice of the institution, not that of individual reporters. Lisa Sorg

This article appeared in print with the headline “Vote, dammit.”