The Franklin County Consortium for Good Government, a coalition of non-partisan organizations in Central Ohio, is again organizing "Meet the Candidates" Forums in Franklin County and nearby communities.

This annual series of non-partisan events was initiated in 1991 when Brookwood Presbyterian Church and the National Council of Jewish Women presented the first candidates’ forum.

At a "Meet the Candidates" Forum, members of the public can meet and question the candidates who are running for public offices.  The Consortium invites all candidates who are running in a contested race to at least one of the candidates’ forums.  We may also invite proponents and opponents of issues to the forums depending on decisions by the governing board of the Consortium.

This year the Consortium will hold "Meet the Candidates" Forums  in widely separated geographical sites so that people in most electoral areas will be provided with a convenient place to view candidates. 

The Consortium has worked very hard both to increase the public’s knowledge about candidates and issues, and to remind Central Ohioans that if we wish to have a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” we must educate ourselves about all the candidates and then utilize our constitutional right to vote.

8/1/08: The tentative schedule of 2008 "Meet the Candidates" Forum events and locations is now online! more ...

8/25/08: The poster and postcard announcing 2008 "Meet the Candidates" Forum events are now available to view or print on the Promotions page, along with an ad designed for reproduction in newsletters or bulletins.  Also, the online agenda for each event now includes preliminary times for each race.  Note that not all candidates and/or issues have been confirmed to appear and all agendas are subject to change.

9/30/08: Races and times have been updated for all 12 "Meet the Candidates" Forum site agendas based on commitments/regrets from candidates and other adjustments to the schedules.  Changes are still possible; please check the event page for a site of interest again as that event approaches!