WHEN TO FIND OUR ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS

Be kind to your letter carriers this week. Starting Monday, they have to deliver ballots for the June 7 election to San Diego County’s 1.9 million registered voters. That means you have about 30 days — if you want or need them — to learn about the candidates on the ballot. But as soon as you receive yours, you can fill it in and return it by mail or drop it off at dozens of convenient ballot box locations countywide.

Some of you, of course, already know who you will vote for. That’s great. All voters should be well-informed and excited about the task ahead. For those who aren’t up to speed, worry not. The San Diego Union-tribune Editorial Board is here to help.

We began surveying candidates in local, county, state and congressional races in March and publishing these Q&AS in the newspaper and online in April. This month, we’re also holding in-person candidate forums. We have held three so far in the four San Diego City Council races. We will host another council candidates’ forum at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Point Loma/hervey branch library in the closely watched District 2 race and a Chula Vista mayoral candidates’ forum at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. Please join us to meet your candidates, or catch them live or later on The San Diego Union-tribune Facebook page.

Our plan is to publish all of our Q&AS by Sunday, May 22, allowing voters who decide to wait ample time to spend with the surveys and any additional research. We’ve already published Q&AS with candidates for Congress, state Senate, state Assembly, Superior Court judge, county sheriff, county Board of Supervisors, San Diego Unified School District Board of Education and San Diego City Council. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com/2022primaryguide to see all of them. Still to come are Q&AS with more sheriff ’s and Assembly candidates, the candidates for Chula Vista mayor (which we’ll publish Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of our forum) and some of the candidates for the state constitutional offices, namely in races for governor, attorney general, controller, insurance commissioner and superintendent

of public instruction. It’s a lot of work, but we are glad to do it on behalf of a public that’s busy and can be easily confused (as can we!) by all the misleading campaign mailers and ads that will bombard us with greater frequency in the days ahead.

Soon, we will also publish candidate endorsements to give voters more to consider. Here is when and in which races we will offer recommendations.

Thursday, May 12: San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 4

Friday, May 13: San Diego County Superior Judge Office Nos. 35 and 36

Saturday, May 14: San Diego Unified School District Districts B and C

Sunday, May 15: San Diego City Council Districts 2,4,6and8

Thursday, May 19: U.S. Senate and Congressional Districts 48-52

Friday, May 20: State Assembly Districts 74-80 Saturday, May 21: State Senate Districts 18, 32, 38 and 40

Sunday, May 22: San Diego County sheriff Thursday, May 26: Chula Visa mayor Friday, May 27: Governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state treasurer

Saturday, May 28: State controller, insurance commissioner and superintendent of public instruction

Sunday, May 29: Attorney general

As we wrote in an editorial two weeks ago, we’re not here to help any candidate win or lose. We’re here to help you become a more informed voter. We publish our candidate Q&AS, hold our forums and publish our endorsements to help you with your research as you set out to elect people who will work to make the region and the world a better place.

It’s not easy being a candidate. We appreciate and respect the many people who put themselves out there or get involved in their campaigns. We also hope they bear in mind that their ultimate job is simple: to represent their constituents. These campaigns are job interviews, and voters do the hiring.