MODERATOR DUTIES AT "MEET THE CANDIDATES" EVENTS

1. All candidates running for a particular office are invited to attend an event or several events and are given a specific time at which their race will be “on.”  The candidates are told to be at the event at least twenty minutes in advance of the time of their race in case candidates in other races do not show and their race’s time is advanced.  If an invited candidate does not show, the other candidate(s) are permitted to go forward.  However, the amount of time allotted to the candidate who did not show is subtracted from the total time allocation for that race.
    
2. Each candidate is given one minute to make an opening statement.
    
3. Every question must be asked to BOTH or ALL candidates.
    
4. Each candidate has one minute to answer each question.  The order in which the candidates answer the questions poised to them shall rotate so that the same candidate will not answer first or last each time.
    
5. A time for each race will have been determined by the steering committee.  You must assure that each race’s comments are contained within the time allotted.
    
6. Two timers are in the audience.  One has a stopwatch and one has time cards.  These individuals will time the candidates.  When the stop sign comes up, candidates must stop immediately.  If the candidate does not stop, the moderator must cut off the candidate.
    
7. If the candidates start bickering between each other, the moderator must cut off the bickering.  Since the purpose of the events is to promote discussion of issues and policies so that those attending the events can make intelligent decisions when voting.  Candidates are to be instructed to address the audience, not the other candidate(s).
    
8. However, if the moderator feels the candidates have not answered the question, the moderator may ask the question again to both candidates.
    
9. We encourage the audience to write questions that can be asked to both candidates and that get to the key issues in a race.  We have at least one question screener who is to pull out one-sided questions or questions obviously not related to the office that the candidates being questioned are seeking.  If the question screener allows an improper question to come to the moderator, it is the moderator’s duty to eliminate that question. Moderator should not allow questions that seem one sided or that seem to attack any of the candidates personally.