Voter Guide vs. endorsements

A reader in the Valley who left only her first name, Anita, saw the Voter Guide in the Jan. 20 California section and was confused. Usually, she said in a voicemail message left on the readers' representative line, The Times gives its endorsements. This seemed different. "Am I missing something?" she asked.

What Anita and others saw that Sunday was a Voter Guide that is produced by reporters and editors in the newsroom. It's not the same as the recommendations Anita was asking about. Those are endorsements that appear on the editorial page and are written by the editorial board, which is separate from the newsroom.

As the headline on the Voter Guide put it, this is "A California primary that matters," and the multiple stories in the section were intended to be a thorough and neutral report on the various issues and aspects of what's on the ballot on Feb. 5.

The editorial board provides voters its own form of guidance. And what Anita missed are the five recommendations on which way to vote that the editorial board has published since early this year. 

The board set the stage for the election with the nine-part American Values series, essays that examined "the values that have historically defined our nation and how they will shape the 2008 election." The series concluded on New Year's Eve with an editorial headlined "The blessings of liberty," which invited readers to send the board their thoughts (several hundred readers responded). The Times' editorial board's recommendations started a week later.

This year, as Dennis McDougal wrote in an opinion piece that was published Jan. 20, will be the first time in decades that The Times' editorial board has taken a stand on the presidential contest.

Editorial Page Editor Jim Newton says that the board will wait to make that endorsement until after the California debates on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31 (and which The Times is co-sponsoring).

So what does the editorial board recommend?

No on Proposition 91 (Transportation funds. Initiative constitutional amendment)

No on Proposition 92 (Community colleges)

Yes on Proposition 93 (Term-limits measure)

Yes on 94, 95, 96, and 97 (Indian gaming contracts)

Yes on Proposition S (Los Angeles cell phone tax)

More ways to monitor the election can be found on the 2008 Primary Tracker, a tool that allows readers to follow the major parties' 2008 nominating process and is produced by editors at latimes.com, in consultation with the newsroom.