Nonpartisan resources to prepare for the November election
This year’s candidate forum will be held Oct. 13 from 7-9 p.m. at the Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC).
This election year voters will choose the people who will run our school district, city and townships. Voters will also decide on levies that, pass or fail, will have a direct impact on our communities. To connect voters to the information that will help them make informed choices on candidates and issues, the League of Women Voters provides the printed Voter Information Guide, online Vote411 guide and a candidate forum.
The Voter Information Guide and its online equivalent, Vote411, provide voters with nonpartisan information about the candidates running for local offices, including their backgrounds and positions. The League sends all candidates a list of questions and then we publish their answers exactly as candidates submitted them. The responses are printed, along with information about voting deadlines, voter ID requirements and ballot issues in the Voter Information Guide. The online equivalent is available at Vote411.org. This year 21 of the 23 candidates running for local office participated, so the guide is a valuable way to become informed before you vote.
The Voter Information Guide is distributed as an insert to Sunday subscribers of the Journal News and to business and office locations throughout our area, including the townships and Oxford Lane Library. Pick one up the next time you’re out, or go to Vote411.org now.
The candidate forum is an in-person event that allows voters to meet candidates and ask their own questions. This year’s candidate forum will be held Oct. 13 from 7-9 p.m. at the Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC). Thirteen of the candidates running for office in our area will attend; the complete list of attendees can be found online at LWVOxford.org.
Candidates will be given three minutes to introduce themselves and share their primary positions at the beginning of the forum. Subsequently, candidates will be seated at individual tables spread across the first floor of OCAC where voters can engage with them and ask questions. The tables will be hosted by League members, and no campaign materials are allowed. Everyone is invited to this event to become more informed before casting a vote in November.
Kathie Brinkman is Co-President for the Organization of the League of Women Voters of Oxford. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
