An Echo Press Editorial: Newspaper makes changes for paid political letters

The filing period for political candidates started Tuesday, May 17 and will continue through Tuesday, May 31.

That means the Echo Press paid political letter policy is in effect now through Election Day this November.

Election-related letters to the editor advocating for or against a candidate, ballot measure or political party will be considered ads and are subject to a charge for the first 7 inches – $17.50 if the letter-writer submits their content online through our business partner, Modulist.news , or $22.50 if we enter the letter in for you. After that, the cost is $11.50 for each additional inch.

A 7-inch letter generally contains about 150 words.

As with other letters to the editor, they must be submitted with the writer’s name, address and phone number (only the writer’s name and city are published).

You can submit your letter online through our trusted editorial content submission platform at Modulist.news .

From there, you will need to sign up for an account so we have your contact information. That way, if we need to reach out to you, we have it.

After you sign up, you can create a new listing for a "Community Engagement Letter," which is what we are calling election-related letters. The cost of the letter depends on the length of text you wish to publish. The benefit of submitting your letter through Modulist is that the cost of your listing will be clearly displayed for you.

For help or questions, please call the Modulist team at 701-241-5509. One of the team members will answer your questions, or be able to walk you through any obstacles. Or you can contact the Echo Press at 320-763-3133.

As in the past, the Echo Press retains the right to reject any letter that doesn’t meet its publishing standards and will decide whether a letter is subject to the fee, at which point the letter writer may decide whether to pay to have it published.

Voters face big decisions this election cycle.

If three or more candidates file for a position that allows a primary, an election will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 9 to narrow the field to two.

Although Election Day, Nov. 8, is five and a half months away, we encourage all residents to start studying the candidates, their priorities, their experience, and learn how their views square with their own. Let’s keep the debate in our community respectful – and one that focuses on important issues that will guide the political landscape for years to come. Don’t get caught up in the name-calling, misinformation and faulty conclusions that often mar one of our most important freedoms – the right to vote.

The 2022 election brings changes. Redistricting has changed the political boundaries at the local, state and national levels. Douglas County will now be represented by four state legislators, not five.

The new statewide boundaries were determined by a special redistricting panel of five judges after legislators from both parties could not reach an agreement. The new legislative map, which is based on population shifts, will be used for the 2022 election. Douglas County will be split into two Senate districts – 9 and 12 – and two House districts, 9B and 12B.

Several local elections will take place. The Alexandria City Council, for example, has three positions up for election – wards 1, 2 and 4. There are also four positions on the Alexandria School Board that are expiring at the end of the year, and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners will hold elections for districts 2, 4 and 5. Elections for all four Douglas County offices will also take place – auditor-treasurer, county attorney, recorder and sheriff.

There will also be other city council and township board elections throughout the county.

And don’t forget about the statewide and national elections.

That’s a lot of candidates to mull over for the next five and a half months. Make your vote an informed one.