Why make political endorsements? Just who is the "our" in "Our View"? How can the paper’s news coverage be unbiased when the editorials shamelessly pick favorites?

All of the comments above, and many more, came flying toward the Editorial Page this election season as we endorsed candidates and took positions.

Why do we do it? This is the opinion-editorial section, the newspaper’s designated forum where opinions and subjective thoughts are shared. The Star-Advertiser is a community-corporate citizen — and its editorial page is, as it’s always been at the Star-Bulletin and at The Advertiser, the venue where we weigh in on issues of the day, just as our readers weigh in daily via letters to the editor. During elections, vetting candidates to make the tough choices is THE biggest issue of the day. We cannot ignore engagement if we are urging voters to do so.

In making election endorsements, we have not always gone with the frontrunners — obviously — but made picks based on our research and access to candidates. The point is to persuade, yes, but more important, to provoke debate and discussion.

These endorsements DO NOT reflect the views of news reporters, but solely of the Star-Advertiser’s Editorial Page staff — the six named below plus the publisher. These are the "our" behind "Our View."

In this opinion-editorial section, we work daily to engage and to encourage free speech in a civil manner. Elections remind us of the beauty, and duty, of democracy.

Agree or disagree, to those who have kept the discourse civil, lively and thoughtful — thank you. We on the Star-Advertiser’s editorial board are privileged to have exercised our public voice in this election. Tomorrow, it’ll be up to you all, as citizens, to exercise your vote. There are more proposed amendments to the state Constitution and the City Charter than those cited below. For more on the election, see www.staradvertiser.com, and click the "VOTE 2010" icon. To view candidates, see www.olelo.org/whatson_vote_cif.htm.

Governor/Lt. Governor

Neil Abercrombie and Brian Schatz

U.S. Congress

1st House District: Colleen Hanabusa
2nd House District: Mazie Hirono
U.S. Senate: Dan Inouye

State Senate

District 8 (Kahala-Hawaii Kai): Sam Slom
District 9 (Kaimuki-Palolo): Les Ihara
District 10 (Moiliili-McCully): Brian Taniguchi
District 13 (Kalihi-Liliha): Suzanne Chun-Oakland
District 14 (Kalihi Valley-Halawa): Donna Mercado Kim
District 15 (Salt Lake-Foster Village): Glenn Wakai
District 19 (Kapolei-Maka-kilo-Waikele): Mike Gabbard
District 20 (Ewa Beach-Waipahu): Will Espero
District 22 (North Shore-Wahiawa): Donovan Dela Cruz
District 24 (Kaneohe-Kailua): Jill Tokuda
District 25 (Lanikai-Hawaii Kai): Virginia Enos

State House

District 18 (Hahaione Valley-Aina Haina): Chris Baron
District 20 (St. Louis-Palolo): Calvin Say
District 21 (Kaimuki-Waikiki): Scott Nishimoto
District 22 (Moiliili-McCully): Scott Saiki
District 23 (Waikiki-Ala Moana): Tom Brower
District 24 (Manoa): Isaac Choy
District 25 (Tantalus-Makiki): Della Au Belatti
District 26 (Pacific Heights-Punchbowl): Sylvia Luke
District 27 (Nuuanu-Liliha-Alewa): Corinne Ching
District 28 (Chinatown-Downtown): Karl Rhoads
District 29 (Kalihi-Kapala-ma): Ken Harding
District 30 (Kalihi): John Mizuno
District 31 (Moanalua Valley-Salt Lake): Linda Ichiyama
District 32 (Mapunapuna-Foster Village): Aaron Johanson
District 33 (Halawa-Aiea): Blake Oshiro
District 34 (Newtown-Royal Summit): K. Mark Takai
District 35 (Pearl City-Waipahu): Henry Aquino
District 36 (Pearl City- Pacific Palisades): Roy Takumi
District 37 (Mililani-Waipio Gentry): Ryan Yamane
District 38 (Mililani-Mililani Mauka-Waipio Acres): Marilyn Lee
District 39 (Wahiawa- Whitmore Village): Marcus Oshiro
District 40 (Makakilo-Kapolei-Royal Kunia): Sharon Har
District 41 (Waipahu-Village Park-Waikele): Carl Wong
District 42 (Waipahu-Ho-nouliuli-Ewa): No endorsement
District 43 (Ewa Beach- Iroquois Point): Kymberly Pine
District 45 (Waianae, Makaha, Makua): Maile Shimabukuro
District 46 (Kahuku-North Shore-Schofield): Gil Riviere
District 47 (Kaneohe-Kahaluu-Laie): Jessica Wooley
District 48 (Heeia-Kane-ohe): Ken Ito
District 49 (Maunawili- Kaneohe): Pono Chong
District 51 (Lanikai-Waimanalo): Chris Lee

Office of Hawaiian Affairs

At-large (3): Rowena Akana, Oswald Stender, John Waihee IV
Oahu: Walter Heen

Board of Education

Oahu at-large (3): Kim Coco Iwamoto, Randall Yee and Melanie Bailey
Leeward Oahu: Maralyn Kurshals
Windward Oahu: Valzey Freitas
Maui: R. Ray Hart

BOE state amendment

» "Shall the Board of Education be changed to a board appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, as provided by law?" YES.

City Charter questions

» "Shall the Revised City Charter be amended to create an office of housing directly under the mayor, to be headed by an administrator who shall be appointed by the mayor, subject to council confirmation, and who may be removed by the mayor?" YES.
» "Shall the revised City Charter be amended to create a semi-autonomous public transit authority responsible for the planning, construction, operation, maintenance, and expansion of the city’s fixed guideway mass transit system?" YES.