League of Women Voters to host three voter forums

The League of Women Voters of Dare has scheduled three voter forums for local candidates.

The first of the three forums will be the North Carolina Senate and House Forum on Sunday, Oct. 14 at the Kill Devil Hills Town Hall from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Candidates for State Senate are Stan White and William Cook, and for State House Mattie Lawson and Paul Tine.

Dare County Commissioners forums will be held Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Nags Head Meeting Room from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 21 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Avon Fire Station. Candidates for District 1 are Richard Johnson and Alfred Jackson; District 2 Robert Muller and Robert Woodard; District 3 Warren Judge; District 4 Allen Burrus and Kevin Conner. Running as a write-in candidate for District 1 is Sandy Semans Ross.

The LWV has been conducting forums prior to elections since 1988 for the benefit of county voters. These forums provide the public with an opportunity to become more informed about the issues and the candidates running for office.

As in the past, each forum will follow the same format, beginning with each candidate giving a three minute introductory statement. Following those statements, candidates will respond to questions from the audience. Format requires voters to submit written questions, legibly signed. League members will review the questions for subject matter, clarity and relevance to avoid repetition. After screening, the signer will be asked to step to the podium and pose his/her question to the candidates, and then be seated. The moderator will continue to preside. A time limit of two minutes is allowed for each answer. Finally, each candidate is entitled to make a two minute closing statement.

Early voting begins Oct. 18 at the Dare County building in Manteo, the Baum Center in Kill Devil Hills and the Fessenden Center in Buxton.