Forums are planned for school board and Milford borough candidates

The League of Women Voters of Pike County will provide voters with an opportunity to hear from candidates running for office in the Nov. 5 general election.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., is a forum for candidates running for the Delaware Valley school board.

On the following Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. is a forum for candidates running in the Milford Borough Council.

Both forums will held at Milford Borough Hall, 109 West Catharine St., Milford.

"These two races were chosen for forums because, unlike other local elections, the question of who will be elected in these two locales on November 5 was not settled by the spring primaries, which too often happens in Pike County," said chapter president Liz Forrest. "Originally, the two forums were scheduled to be held on the same evening, but due to requests from Milford council candidates, a second date was found to accommodate them."

She said the chapter appreciates Milford Borough making the hall available for a second night.

All but one candidate for borough council is participating, said Forrest. Several school board candidates have also agreed to participate.

Make an informed choice

Forrest makes the point that, although the candidates were successful in their respective party primaries in May, Pennsylvania does not allow independent voters to participate in partisan primaries.

"That means that around 18 percent of registered voters in Pike County have had no say yet in who will hold these offices, or possibly even had an opportunity to meet these candidates outside of a partisan setting," she said.

Letters of invitation to both slates of candidates went out in August explaining the format for the evening, which will be identical for both forums. Each candidate will give a two-minute opening statement, with one minute each to answer questions selected by the LWV. The chapter will select the first two or three questions, and the public and press may also submit suggested questions ahead of time through its website at lwvpike.org contact-us.

"This is an opportunity for voters to become informed about issues important to them, so we encourage their participation," said Forrest.

The League has asked the candidates for statements without ad hominem attacks on their opponents or other parties, and to stick to issues relevant to the office for which they are running.

"There will be plenty of time for national issues next year," Forrest said. "At the end of the day in a local election, voters simply want to know if the candidates understand the issues facing the offices for which they are running."

For more information future meetings at the local level, send email to LWVPikeCounty@gmail.com or submit a message at lwvpike.org/contact-u.