Political candidates, do have something to say?

Of course you do.

You can say it in a guest column. The Albert Lea Tribune welcomes one guest column per candidate prior to the primary election, and we will allow one more guest column per candidate prior to the general election.

The submission deadline for the primary election season is 5 p.m. Sept. 4 — the Thursday before the Sept. 9 election.

This allows us to keep the opinion page in the Monday edition prior to Election Day free of last-minute politics.

That said, if all the candidates try to submit their column on Sept. 4, we won’t guarantee their guest column can print in the paper. Printing space is valuable real estate. In other words, the earlier you submit your guest column, the better.

Guest columns generally are in the neighborhood of 750 words. That means, be longer than 500 words and don’t go over 1,000 words. Being long indeed gives writers more to say, but sometimes long columns result in fewer people reading them. To the point is the best way to go.

Please give Albert Lea Tribune Managing Editor Tim Engstrom a call at (507) 379-3433 if you are a political candidate who would like a guest column.