Column: Why we chose the endorsements we did

Today The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board presents the first installment of our endorsements for the 2016 elections. Next week we will publish more endorsements and release an Orange County sample ballot to show you our choices visually.

It wasn’t easy bringing these endorsements to print. This election is the first time I have seriously been doubtful about this country’s future. It is scary how values I hold to be essential to the American identity are now being called into question.

I am a liberal person (I can admit this because I am the opinion editor), but this election goes beyond politics — it speaks to how we want to define ourselves and how we want to handle growing diversity in the country.

In this election it seems we are politicizing people’s identities. I urge you all to resist this. Please vote for more inclusion and diversity. Let’s show the word that we are not a nation filled with hateful bigots.

As I am writing this column, it hits me that I was a first-year when this election cycle started, and it became a major part of my college experience. Now we must synthesize all we know about the candidates and go out to the voting booth.

The idea of leaving UNC soon has me worried about my future place in the nation. The outcomes on Nov. 8 will greatly affect all of us.

This year, I have the privilege of sorting out the political mess we are currently in with some of the smartest, most thoughtful people I know on the editorial board and the rest of the opinion page.

We may not always agree, but it is refreshing to come into a room of people earnestly seeking some sort of solution to the problems we face.

Our endorsements have no influence on The Daily Tar Heel’s reporting away from the opinion page, and they do not reflect the personal opinions of our reporters. These decisions were debated and written behind closed doors; newsroom staff were not involved.

The conclusions were reached by an open vote of all board members in attendance. On every candidate but one there was unanimous agreement on who to endorse, despite the variety of political viewpoints on our board.

Our endorsements are well-researched and come from people earnestly trying to make a positive impact on the country. Print space limits the amount of information we can fit into each recommendation, but we believe all the candidates are fully qualified for office.

This board does not take lightly our responsibility to the community in providing accurate and fair endorsements. We know the DTH once endorsed Gov. Pat McCrory — we hope not to repeat that mistake.

The biggest endorsement I can give is this: Vote. Make your voice heard. These endorsements hopefully will help in that, but nothing can replace doing your own research and making your own decisions. The only way to make a government truly by the people is for the people to participate.

So go do just that at the polls.