With all the focus on the presidential election, let’s talk about the importance of local elections — a topic equally, if not more, important for the University of Minnesota community.

This presidential election is essential for ensuring people will be able to vote in local elections going forward, which is why major news publications inform their readers of what is at stake. Credible political endorsements give readers valuable context in an election where misinformation poses a significant threat to citizens’ trust in government and the media.

Our political and media systems are interconnected, and the decisions voters make in local and national elections as well as the decisions of leaders in news organizations all play a role in making our system run in the best interest of the people.

Our system is not perfect by any means, but it could get a whole lot worse if we don’t elect representatives who respect democracy and the press.

In the 2023 legislative session, Minnesota Democrats used their control of the statehouse to make progress on numerous issues from school funding to expanding abortion rights. This progress illustrates the profound impact state representatives can have and the importance of voting for them.

All eight Minnesota districts are up for election in the U.S. House race. All 134 seats are up for election in the Minnesota House and there is a special election for the State Senate District 45.

Andrew Karch, chair of the Department of Political Science at the University, said the interactions citizens have with government are often at the local level, and important decision-making occurs at local and state levels as well.

Voting rights and the criminal justice policy are some examples of important policies that are set at the state level, according to Karch. He said some states have made voting more accessible in recent years while others have put more barriers in place.

“The states do a lot to define who is a member of the community,” Karch said. “The states are having a pretty important impact on how healthy American democracy is.”

The University’s ability to get funding for infrastructure projects, general funding and tuition stability also depends on the state legislature, according to Karch. This is an important election for students to make their voices heard and elect representatives who will govern with their best interests in mind.

Logan Dowling, a first-year student, said students need to get out and vote in this election, regardless of their previous political engagement.

“This is an important election,” Dowling said. “Even if you don’t like politics, politics is into you.”

Dowling said voting in local elections is important because local representatives have the power to make a difference in communities at the state level and help or pressure the president to pass legislation.

“There are many things at stake on a personal level when it comes to politics,” Dowling said. “I think no matter who you vote for you should look at either candidate, look at the issues and see how they affect you.”

Voting in local and state elections is one of the most direct ways for voters to impact their communities. Electing representatives to statehouses, county offices and school boards can transform a community and pave the way for change on a larger scale.

To bring the focus back to the presidential election, voting for Vice President Kamala Harris will help ensure voters can continue participating in free and fair elections at every level of government.

Former President Donald Trump attempted to overturn his loss in 2020, and Republicans in several states have implemented voting restrictions since 2021.

That brings us to news publications and their responsibility to do everything in their power to help voters make informed decisions, especially in an election as consequential as this one. An essential part of this is thoughtful endorsements by editorial boards.

It is generally best when news organizations themselves aren’t making the headlines, but the Washington Post’s and the L.A. Times’ announcements that they would not be endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2024 election have prompted intense backlash.

The announcement by the Post came just 11 days before the election.

Outcries of criticism from subscribers, political figures, journalists and opinion columnists of various publications followed the announcements, including an article by 21 Post Opinions columnists expressing their disappointment in the Post’s abdication of an essential responsibility. 

The L.A. Times Editorial Chief, Mariel Garza, resigned after the paper’s billionaire owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, blocked the editorial board’s planned endorsement of Harris.

The Post’s humor columnist, Alexandra Petri, took it upon herself to endorse Harris. Petri said the newspaper has an obligation to tell readers what they see, and by not endorsing a candidate, the Post is dropping the ball on that obligation.

“I am endorsing Kamala Harris for president because I like elections and want to keep having them,” Petri wrote in the column. 

Both publications are still endorsing candidates in local elections — an important step in helping voters participate. But the decision not to weigh in on the presidential race undermines the power and responsibility these publications have to make valuable contributions to our democracy.

The Post’s publisher, William Lewis, said in the announcement stating the paper’s decision not to endorse a candidate that the paper was returning to its prior tradition of non-endorsement and letting their readers decide for themselves who to vote for. The decision was made by the paper’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos.

While remaining an independent paper and letting readers make their own decisions is an important part of the journalistic process, the Post has endorsed presidential candidates for nearly 50 years. The decision to switch this policy 11 days before the election is irrational and irresponsible, especially given what is at stake for democracy and press freedom in this election.

Meagan Doll, a post-doctoral research associate at the University, said this decision raises concerns for readers about its impacts on this election but also could contribute to readers’ distrust in news organizations and journalists.

These decisions could be seen as a step backward in the search for media independence and objectivity, which many readers already see as unrealistic, according to Doll.

Doll said the decision to not endorse this close to an election between two candidates with significantly different press freedom records doesn’t make sense to a lot of people.

“The choice seems clear, at least from a news organization and press freedom perspective,” Doll said. “You have one candidate that has openly denounced the press, has already threatened to go after political opponents, which could include journalists who are just doing their jobs.”

Doll said this contrast may have contributed to the publications’ decisions not to endorse a candidate in this election and has impacted the severity of readers’ reactions to the decisions.

Endorsing Harris over Trump in the context of this election does not make a paper biased toward one party over the other — it makes them biased toward democracy and freedom of the press. Trump is a threat to these values and endorsing Harris is the only responsible action, a reality prominent Republicans have personally acknowledged.

The outcome of the presidential election may dictate whether voters will even have the chance to participate in fair local and national elections in the future.

In the presidential election and across the country in state and local races, voting rights and press freedom are on the ballot.