This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Not all newspapers endorse candidates for public office. Many, perhaps most, don't.

The Tribune does, and has been for the last decade or so, returning to a tradition it abandoned in the 1970s after our legendary publisher Jack Gallivan regretted the endorsement of Richard Nixon. Former publisher Dean Singleton reinstituted the practice.

We are back this year. Sometime this week, we will have weighed in on the four congressional races as well as contests for state attorney general, Salt Lake County district attorney and the Salt Lake County at-large council seat. Leading up to Election Day, Nov. 4, we likely will offer opinions on some ballot issues.

We are starting earlier than in elections past because of the growth of mail-in ballots and early voting. Most residents in nine of Utah's 29 counties will vote by mail. In Salt Lake County, almost 30 percent of voters have requested mail-in ballots.

The debate continues about the value of a newspaper's editorial board weighing in. Will it help determine the outcome of this year's mid-term elections? I like to think I'm a realist, so I will say no, it won't.

But that's not the point.

The reason we offer an opinion on the best candidates is not to anoint winners or influence outcomes. We do it to inform and engage citizens in the election process. What you do with our opinion is your business.

So how does this work? How do we come to a decision? And who is "we?"

The Tribune editorial board is three people: Tribune Deputy Editor and Editorial Page Editor Tim Fitzpatrick, editorial writer and columnist George Pyle, and me, editor and publisher.

We invite the candidates to sit down with the three of us and the reporter who covers the office they seek, and have an on-the-record discussion of their aspirations if elected and their take on the issues they will face.

For congressional candidates, those issues include the Affordable Care Act, minimum wage, conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine, federal or state control of public lands, climate change and Washington gridlock. For attorney general, it's reform of an office racked by scandal, the defense of Utah's marriage laws and the independence of the office.

With the district attorney: police use of force, jail overflow and recidivism, deploying limited resources and setting priorities. County council: providing services, taking care of residents in unincorporated areas, protection of Wasatch canyons and planning for exploding growth.

We don't come to these discussions cold. We have taken positions on many of these issues, and opined on performances of some of the officeholders.

In elections past, the editorial board has given some deference to incumbents. After all, they've done the job, been on the hot seat and had to execute. They bring experience that can translate to power and effectiveness.

For federal offices, that's not so true this year. Most Americans agree that Congress isn't doing its job. Incumbency has lost many of its advantages.

For the record, Pyle and Fitzpatrick are the workhorses in this process. They do the actual writing after a discussion among the three of us determines which candidate gets our nod.

We don't always agree, but come to a consensus. Will each of us vote for the candidates that get The Tribune's endorsement? I can almost guarantee we won't.

But we will be influenced by the process and the conclusions we reach. This I will guarantee: Our personal Election Day decisions will be better informed because of the experience.

Our hope is that yours will be, too, even if you disagree with us. That's why we do it.

Terry Orme is The Tribune's editor and publisher. Reach him at orme@sltrib.com. —

Trib Talk: Why does The Salt Lake Tribune endorse candidates?

With election season comes candidate debates and endorsements, both of which The Salt Lake Tribune has been actively involved this fall.

On Monday at 12:15 p.m., the Tribune's editorial board — Terry Orme, Tim Fitzpatrick and George Pyle — joins Jennifer Napier-Pearce to talk about the process of vetting candidates and why the newspaper continues to make Election Day picks.

Watch this online video chat at sltrib.com. You can also join the discussion by sending questions and comments to the hashtag #TribTalk on Twitter and Google+ or texting 801-609-8059.