News-Record.com

Every election season we tinker with our coverage, hoping to find the magical combination of information and timing to help you make wise choices when you enter the voting booth. With so many races and with early voting -- Guilford County voters began voting last Thursday -- it's an impossible task to get the information into everyone's hands when they want it.

The quandary is this: Publish everything early, and those who wait until the last moment to decide miss it. Publish everything right before the election and early voters are left out.

We're taking a shot at satisfying both. In the newspaper, we're spreading the election previews out over the month before Election Day. Online, we offer what we have in the paper and more.

Here is what we're doing.

* Race-by-race election previews will continue through Saturday, Nov. 4. Among the highlights: a story on the U.S. House race between Democratic incumbent Brad Miller and Republican Vernon Robinson will run next Sunday. We will preview the three Guilford Board of Commissioners races Oct. 30-Nov. 1, the judicial contests Nov. 3, and the sheriff's race Nov. 4.

* On Nov. 5, we will publish an examination of seven issues likely to affect state and congressional elections, including the economy, the war and the scandals surrounding Jim Black and Mark Foley.

* On Nov. 6, we will run a voter's guide to the election, with a listing of all races on ballots in Guilford County.

* Because the 11 bond items involve so much money -- nearly $115 million -- we wanted to ensure that voters had the opportunity to understand the pros and cons of each. Each Sunday since Aug. 6, our stories have examined a different bond referendum. If you missed any, they are all available here.

* The editorial board began its endorsements last weekend, when it stated its positions on the bonds (in favor of six; against five.) Candidate endorsements continue.

* While at our Web site, you will find more information about the key races, including an archive of our news and editorial coverage, questionnaires filled out by the candidates, audio and details about early voting.

We publish additional information online because we are not bound by the space constraints in the newspaper. For instance, candidates completed extensive questionnaires for the editorial board. The entire questionnaire, in the candidates' own words, unedited except for spelling typos, is posted online.

Check back often as you prepare to vote.

"We are continuing to add information to our Web site each day," said editor Eddie Wooten, who is overseeing our campaign coverage. "We're trying to make our Web site the one stop voters will need to make to get information they can use as they make their choices for Election Day."

And of course, on Nov. 7, we'll have up-to-date results online as soon as possible after the polls close at 7:30 p.m.

After all this, I have one request, a request I'm sure President Bush shares: Make an informed choice and vote.