Kent – Voters will have the chance to question candidates running for national, county and state elected posts in the general election at the Voters & Candidates Face2Face Forum on Oct. 13.
The League of Women Voters of Kent is organizing the event, with co-sponsorship from the Kent Lions, NAACP of Portage County, National Alliance on Mental Illness Portage County, Kent Environmental Council, Kent State Votes and the Kent State University Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The forum will run Saturday, Oct. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at a new location, the United Methodist Church of Kent, 1435 E. Main St., Kent. It is free and open to the public.
The candidates in the following races have been invited: U.S. House of Representatives for the 13th District, two seats open for Portage County Commissioners, Portage County Auditor, Ohio House of Representative for the 75th District and Ohio Board of Education for the 7th District.
Voters who are unsure of what is on their ballots should check the Portage County Board of Elections website at https://www.voterfind.com/portageoh/ballotlist.aspx or call the BOE at 330-297-3511.
The League’s Face2Face forum is based on small group discussions with candidates. Voters talk with a candidate at round tables for a specified amount of time. Each table has a moderator from the League who makes sure there are a variety of questions asked. Candidates move from table-to-table.
League members will additionally have information on VOTE411.org, the national online voter information website by the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF). The Kent LWV coordinates the inputting of local candidate information into VOTE411.org for Portage County voters. Congressional race information is available there also.
VOTE411.org is a “one-stop shop” for election-related information. It provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on aspects of the election process.
The LWVK Voter’s Guide is available on the Kent League’s new website, my.lwv.org/ohio/kent, and at libraries in Portage County.
The League of Women Voters of Kent was founded in 1954 and is well known for its candidate forums and the bi-annual election Voter’s Guide, published courtesy of the Record-Courier.
The League of Women Voters, a diverse national organization open to men and women 16 years and older, neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government. Founded in 1920 after the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution affirming to women the right to vote, the League has fought since 1920 to improve U.S. systems of government and impact public policies through education and advocacy.
The organization is committed to providing voter education; facilitating voter registration and building a diverse organization that supports a community of respect, celebration and empowerment for people of all backgrounds, generations and cultures to participate in government.
