LWV Candidates Night Oct. 6
The League of Women Voters of Wayne County will host its annual Candidates Night on Oct. 6 in the ballroom of the Arden Shisler Center in Wooster.
The League of Women Voters of Wayne County will host its annual Candidates Night on Oct. 6 at the Ohio State University’s local College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (formerly OARDC). The gathering will provide Wayne County voters the opportunity to get to know the candidates for public office, hear them speak about the issues, and ask questions.
Candidates Night will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the ballroom of the Arden Shisler Center for Education and Economic Development on the CFAES campus, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster. The event is open to all, at no cost, and is expected to conclude by 8:30 p.m.
Candidates Night is the League’s signature event, having been offered for many decades. Attending this year will be Jonathan Hofstetter and Karla DeMali, running for County Commissioner; Mark Gooch, candidate for State Representative; and Matthew Diemer, up for U.S. Congress. Invitations were sent in mid-July to all candidates, none of whom are endorsed by the League, which is strongly bipartisan.
Kathy Helmuth, who serves as President of the Wayne County League and has been co-chairing Candidates Night for 13 years, expressed disappointment that some candidates declined to attend and answer questions from everyday voters.
“The other candidates passed on the opportunity to participate in the event,” she said. “We encourage the public to urge those candidates to appear.”
This year’s function, co-chaired by Joi Hemphill, will differ from the debate style of past years. Attendees will be seated in large groups, and the candidates will sit down to talk with each group in a rotating manner. This will facilitate a more informal atmosphere for talking and gaining insight into what kind of people the candidates are and how they would represent the voters if elected.
“Every person will get to hear every candidate,” Helmuth said.
To help individuals further educate themselves before heading to the polls, the League provides a website of election information, VOTE411, at https://www.vote411.org. The site is easy to navigate and includes the issues on the ballot, a guide to the candidates, and guidance on checking your voter registration and finding out your polling location.
Additional useful information regarding the elections can be found on the websites for the Wayne County Ohio Board of Elections at https://www.waynecountyoh.gov and the Ohio Secretary of State at www.sos.state.oh/elections. Election day this year is November 8, with early in-person voting beginning October 12 at the Board of Elections office in Wooster. Voters must be registered by October 11.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization officially founded in Chicago in 1920, six months before the 19th amendment was ratified and women won the vote. Its mission is to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. The League was formed by the suffragists of the National American Woman Suffrage Association to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. Males are equally welcome to join the League.
“We have many male members,” Helmuth said. “They are equally passionate about enhancing voter rights and supporting our democracy.”
For additional information on the League of Women Voters of Wayne County, Ohio, see https://lwvwaynecounty.org.