Patience, respect needed as we approach presidential election

This year represents the fifth presidential election that I’ve covered since coming to the Daily American Republic in early 2005.

I’ve covered nearly 60 elections in the same time, between the annual municipal and school board elections, primaries, general elections and special elections.

Even when there are only a few items on the ballot and low voter turnout is expected, elections are a lot of work. It starts with the governmental body — such as a city or school district — voting to hold an election and following the proper steps to make it part of the ballot, to the county clerks ensuring ballots come together, testing voting equipment, arranging volunteers to staff polling places and collecting the votes.

We cover these steps from the beginning to the end, the announcement of the winners. We report on the vote totals released by county clerks across our region, the state and the country.

Election night work for a newsroom can feel a lot like hurry up and wait, until the results start rolling in and then it’s just hurry, hurry, hurry to post to websites, share to social media and make our print deadline.

Preparing for this year’s presidential election looks a lot like past years.

In today’s edition, we’re sharing candidate responses to local and state contested races. We hope this information will help you be better informed as you go to the polls Tuesday.

We also share a relatively new tradition for us, our special “If I were president” project, where elementary, junior high and high school students tell us what they would do if they were president. The responses are refreshing in the midst of all of the political machinations that take place in the lead-up to a presidential election.

They show what the children in our community are concerned about. For Twin Rivers High School students, that includes what it costs to live today and how that can be improved, equality for residents, how to care for communities after disasters and much more.

Neelyville eighth graders share what they think the most important job of the president is, with answers like ensuring that laws are enforced, taking care of the needs of the people and protecting soldiers.

Third graders at O’Neal Elementary School also share what rules they would make if they were president, including allowing music in class, treating people fairly, strong borders to keep the bad guys away and not being rude.

You can read “If I were president,” on page A12. Any responses we were unable to print due to space restrictions will be available on our website at www.darnews.com.

Another election tradition, one that has been followed at the Daily American Republic for decades, is how we will report on the presidential election.

We will have a special Wednesday print edition that will include all results available to us as of 11 p.m. Tuesday night. We will continue to follow national election results and share that information on our website and social media beyond our print deadline.

We, like many print, radio and television outlets across the nation, will report on the presidential election results via the Associated Press.

On page A11 today you’ll find an article in which the AP explains how they compiled vote results and declared winners in elections, something they have done for more than 170 years.

It is especially important to understand that what they report — just as what we report locally — comes from what county clerks are reporting in each voting area and is based only on provable facts. When we announce the winners in local races, it is based on the vote totals announced by the county clerk’s office and made available to all of the public. Our race calls, and the AP’s race calls, are not predictions and are not based on speculation.

I think most people expect next week to be difficult, no matter which political party or presidential candidate they support. We each have a role to play as voters, in making our voices heard at the polls, but also as citizens. We have to find a way to help our communities at home and our nation move forward, no matter who the winner is, while showing respect to neighbors who may fall on a different side of the political fence and encouraging peaceful and respectful dialogue.

Donna Farley is editor of the Daily American Republic and Dexter Statesman. She can be reached at dfarley@darnews.com.