On Election Day, a vote for turnout

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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Beginning in September, members of the Star Tribune Editorial Board began researching City Council election contests in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That work, which included interviews with most of the candidates, culminated in endorsements published Oct. 25 to Nov. 1. The board also made a recommendation on the St. Paul sales tax ballot question, encouraging a "yes" vote.

The results of the council races will go a long way toward determining the course of public policy in both cities over the next two years. All 13 seats are on the ballot in Minneapolis, although one incumbent has no opposition and several other races do not appear to be competitive. Voters will determine who will hold all seven seats on the St. Paul council, and four seats are open because incumbents chose not to run.

The Editorial Board operates independently from the Star Tribune newsroom, and no news reporters or editors were involved in our interviews or decisionmaking. For more on the Star Tribune Opinion staff members who were involved in the process, you can find information here. Columnist and retired editorial writer Lori Sturdevant assisted the board this election cycle, as did intern Noor Adwan, a 2023 graduate of the University of Minnesota.

If they choose to seek our endorsement, all candidates who are engaged in active campaigns are invited to interview with representatives of the Editorial Board. We regret that several chose not to do so in this cycle and that we were unable to endorse a candidate in three Minneapolis races. But we thank the dozens of candidates who did meet with us to discuss their campaigns and the critical issues facing the two cities.

The Editorial Board recognizes that voting is a uniquely personal decision and that our readers have their own priorities and expectations for candidates. We simply hope that our 2023 endorsements in Minneapolis and St. Paul are helpful to voters as they do their own homework and make informed choices. The Star Tribune newsroom's voter guide is another good source of information, and you can check your ballot by using the secretary of state's "My Ballot" tool.

One last note: Regardless of whether Minneapolis and St. Paul residents agree with our choices, we encourage them to make their voices heard and vote.