| When it comes to our primary endorsements this year, we're trying something a little different. It may or may not be a process we use again in the future, but it will be the one tomorrow's endorsements will be based upon.
Each year I get asked, "what is Burnt Orange Report's endorsement process?" It's a fair question. We don't have a sit down interview process or candidate screening or questionnaire for campaigns to fill out. I'm sure some campaigns don't mind that given how busy they are but the lack of those things does not mean our staff is ill-informed. If anything, we're over informed having attended numerous speeches, read more than our fair share of Q&A's, and talked with candidates and their campaign staffs on a weekly if not daily basis.
In the past, I've directed the endorsement process to run under a weighted consensus system. Simply put, all writers had a vote (except when working for a campaign) and those votes were weighted by staff seniority. Any closely split races were then further discussed until a consensus opinion is reached on the choice, tone, and author of endorsements.
This year there will be two principal changes to our endorsement process.
- There will be no weighting of the BOR staff's votes- each will be equal.
- The aggregate opinion of the BOR readership counts as a vote equal to that of a staff writer.
This seems more egalitarian, and more democratic but I will remain open to comments on whether this process should become the new standard for future years.
Click here to cast your vote in the 2010 BOR Primary Endorsement Reader Poll
(You do not need to be a registered user of Burnt Orange Report to vote- just a regular reader.)
The BOR Staff has largely locked in about 90% of their votes at this point though a couple races remain up in the air. The BOR Reader Poll will provide direction and a key vote in a number of races and the margin in some races can have an effect on the tone of endorsements.
We invite you to become part of our editorial consensus- cast your 2010 BOR Primary Reader Poll vote today.
Update: I didn't post a closing time on this poll other than to say you had to vote "today". So in order to give fair warning, there will be a hard cut-off at midnight CST. I have looked at the numbers and some are very fascinating, with one race teetering back and forth and sometimes being tied as votes come in. I have deleted a couple duplicate votes and am happy to say that on first pass there is no obtuse attempts to stuff the ballot.
Update: Voting is now closed. |
