FRANKLIN COUNTY CONSORTIUM FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT
2008
To Franklin County area churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and non-profit community organizations:
This year, the Franklin County Consortium for Good Government, a coalition of religious groups and non-partisan organizations is again organizing Meet the Candidates Forums in the Franklin County area.
In 1991, these non-partisan candidates’ forums were initiated when Brookwood Presbyterian Church and the National Council of Jewish Women presented the first candidates’ forum. Last year, we held nine candidates’ forums and there were more than sixty (60) sponsors and co-sponsors.
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. (See the description of Meet Candidates Forums on the next page for more details.)
This year the Consortium will hold 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.
Your organization can be a Sponsor of these events this year—if it does not endorse candidates or contribute to their campaigns! Here are the requirements for becoming a sponsoring organization:
Sponsor:
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publicizes the event among its members,
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provides volunteers to help with organization of an event, and
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contributes $50 or more toward expenses of running programs.
To find out how to become a sponsor, see the instructions below and the Application Form.
Please join us in this hard, but rewarding work!
Sincerely,
Erin Cordle (614-241-2540) and Barbi Crabill (614-231-2250)
2008 Consortium Co-Chairs
Description of Meet the Candidates Forums
All programs begin with a ½ hour reception, at which the public can meet the candidates.
When the program starts, the moderator gives each candidate a brief period (usually one minute) to provide information about her/himself and the issue. (Volunteer timers track the time.)
After the candidates’ statements, the floor is opened to questions. Questions are provided in writing to the moderator, who addresses them to the candidates. (The moderator with the help of pre screening by a volunteer, screens out personal attacks and addresses each question all candidates.)
The order of answering the questions is rotated so that each candidate has the opportunity to answer first and each candidate answers last.
Time limits for the candidates’ presentations and answers are determined by the Consortium Steering Committee prior to the start of each forum. Every candidate is given the same amount of time to make his/her statement and to answer questions.
Volunteers are needed at each site to help with set up and to help with the candidates, to help screen questions, to collect questions from the audience and other tasks which the site director will assign. Volunteers able to assist prior to the event can help make certain candidates know where and when to go to programs or help call schools to make certain seniors and their teachers are alerted to nearby programs or help the site coordinator in what ever manner he or she directs.