Note: This column originally appeared in April 2023 but we are reposting it as a reminder as we get close to the primary election date of Aug. 1.

This is shaping up to be a busy election season in Lynnwood, with four city council seats plus races for Edmonds School Board, the hospital district and more on the ballot.

Here are our policies regarding campaign coverage for the 2023 election season:

Campaign announcements: Often, candidates will issue a press release announcing their candidacy. Sometimes this is coordinated with their required filing with the state Public Disclosure Commission, and other times it comes later. We will run one campaign announcement per candidate; however, to be timely and as a service to readers we may also run a brief note about a filing or a reminder of a campaign launch event. These will appear in our catch-all Election Notes column (see more on that below).

Campaign launch event: Candidates usually host some type of campaign launch event where they gather their supporters and those who want to learn more. We make it our practice to cover each candidate launch with photos and a story.

Coverage of other campaign events: Candidates often hold additional fundraisers or other campaign-related events (listening sessions, meet-and-greets) throughout the election season. We will not cover these events but we will provide a listing of them in advance through our Election Notes column at each campaign’s request. To be included, email information to myedmondsnews@gmail.com.

Opinion pieces about candidates: The only type of opinion piece we will accept regarding candidates is a letter to the editor, with a limit of 250 words. (No longer Reader View or Commentary opinion pieces will be accepted.) We will not run letters about candidates during the voting period, starting with the date that primary or general election ballots have been mailed through Election Day.

Our commitment to fair and impartial campaign coverage: We are committed to covering all election campaigns fairly and evenly with no bias regarding any candidate. We do not endorse candidates.

Paid campaign advertising: Any paid political advertising that appears in our publication is handled by our advertising sales director and is completely separate from our editorial coverage. Paid advertising has no impact on how we cover election campaigns.

If you have any questions about these policies, feel free to reach out to me directly at teresa@myedmondsnews.com.

— Teresa Wippel, Publisher