Wayne County voters will have a chance to meet candidates seeking public office during the League of Women Voters of Wayne County's annual Candidates Forum at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Wayne County Schools Career Center in Smithville.
The free public event is designed to give voters an opportunity to hear from candidates, ask questions and discuss issues affecting the community before the Nov. 3 election, according to a community announcement.
Rather than using a traditional debate format, organizers will continue a roundtable approach used in recent years. Attendees will be divided into small groups while candidates rotate among tables, allowing voters and candidates to engage in direct conversations throughout the evening.
Organizers said the format gives participants an opportunity to ask questions in a less formal setting and hear from every candidate during the event.
Additional sponsorship is being provided by the Wooster Branch of the American Association of University Women, Wooster/Orrville NAACP and AloNovus Corp.
As of the announcement, candidates expected to participate include Laura Sirot, a candidate for Ohio Senate; Brooke Dillon, a candidate for Ohio State Representative; and three candidates for the 9th District Court of Appeals: Betty Sutton, Cynthia Curtin and Tavia Galonski.
The League said all candidates in contested races receive equal invitations and equal treatment. The organization does not endorse candidates.
The League encourages voters to review candidate information and election resources through vote411.org, which provides voter registration information and an online voter guide.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Early in-person voting begins Oct. 6 at the Wayne County Board of Elections office in Wooster. Voters must be registered by Oct. 5 to participate in the election.
Additional information about the League of Women Voters of Wayne County is available at lwvwaynecounty.org and on Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne County candidates forum offers direct voter access