The GazetteLeader has established the following policy guidelines for election-related submissions.
We value and welcome diversity of opinion and aim to provide an open forum for responsible discussion of important issues in our community. To aid that process, we lay out the following guidelines for submission of election-related letters and commentary pieces.
• The last submissions related to a particular political campaign will be accepted no later than two weeks prior to Election Day.
• Owing to space and other considerations, we cannot guarantee that every submission will be published, but we work hard to ensure fairness in considering each submission.
• Letters will be edited for clarity and readability; personal attacks will be removed, and submissions should avoid repetitive “talking points” emanating from campaigns.
• All submissions should be transparent about any relationship (personal, professional, political) between the author and the candidate, or between the author and the issue being discussed.
• We cannot accept submissions from any individual more than once every four weeks.
• How long should a submission be? We encourage readers to make their points concisely, and prefer submissions of fewer than 250 words.
• We do not accept submissions from candidates themselves, but welcome candidates encouraging supporters to submit their own views.
