League of Women Voters of Lee County to host three candidate forums
As election season ramps up, Cape Coral and Southwest Florida residents will have the chance to hear from candidates in a series of forums next week.
The League of Women Voters of Lee County is hosting a series of candidate forums during the week of July 6, where the public may attend either in-person or virtually.
This series is part of LWV Lee’s commitment to the League’s nonpartisan mission in empowering voters so voters can make an informed vote during the Aug. 18 primary election.
“We would like voters to be informed and to make the choices that are important to them and make an informed vote,” said League of Women Voters of Lee County President Sandy Frank. “The candidate forums allow voters to hear from the candidates in their own words — their positions and their values and what they would like the voters to know. The league, as a nonpartisan organization, has specific criteria for doing the forums to make sure that all candidates are involved and that we require the candidates to speak about themselves, not about other candidates, and to share with the voters what their concerns and issues and priorities are. So we think we can provide a service to the public to learn about the candidates.”
These candidate forums give constituents the opportunity to meet candidates running for Cape Coral Mayor, Cape Coral Council seats, Lee County School Board, Lee County Commission, and judicial office. Individuals may register to attend the forums in person, or also via Zoom.
Upcoming forums include:
• July 7 at 5 p.m. — Cape Coral Mayor as well as Cape Coral Council Districts 1, 4, and 6 Candidate Forum. All qualified candidates were invited and most have agreed to participate. This forum takes place at Cape Coral Library, at 921 S.W. 39th Terrace. This program is not sponsored nor endorsed by the Lee County Library system.
• July 9 at 6 p.m. — Lee County School Board Districts 1, 4, 5, 6 Candidate Forum, in partnership with WGCU and The Fort Myers News-Press. All qualified candidates were invited and most have agreed to participate. This forum takes place at The Water School Room, located at 138 A&B- Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd., S., Fort Myers. Please note: Seats are limited.
• July 11 at 6 p.m. — Lee County Commission and Judicial Races Candidate Forum. All qualified candidates were invited and most have agreed to participate. This forum takes place at Lakes Regional Library, 15290 Bass Road in Fort Myers. This program is not sponsored nor endorsed by the Lee County Library system.
As to why these forums are a great way to get to know candidates and the importance of making an informed vote, Frank said, “Elected officials make decisions that affect all of us -the economy, education, the environment, housing, health care, transportation, water quality, many, many issues. So voters should be familiar with the candidates and the elected officials and the decision-making process within government so they can understand how those decisions are made and how they affect them personally in their communities.”
Frank said each candidate will have the floor to make an introductory statement, and a moderator will ask each candidate at each forum a series of questions. Candidates will then have the opportunity to make a closing statement. The forum in Cape Coral will first have a panel made up of mayoral candidates, followed by those running for other seats on the City Council.
The Cape Coral and Lee County Commission/Judicial forums will have Zoom links (must register to receive link), while the School Board forum will be live-streamed via social media for those that cannot attend in person.
Frank said since the pandemic, LWV Lee has placed an emphasis on making many events available to the public virtually.
“We’re really excited about the Cape Coral event, because in 2024, we had a large number of candidates, we had a fabulous turnout, and we had a lot of people who viewed the recording online,” Frank said. “So, we’re anticipating the same for this candidate forum.”
While Frank spoke to the importance of making an informed vote, LWV Lee also encourages residents to exercise their right to vote in general, most notably for races that will be decided in the Primary Election.
“It’s very important,” Frank said. “I don’t think we can overemphasize that, because the vote determines who the elected officials are, and if people don’t make their voices heard, then they don’t have participation in that process. So we encourage people, again, to stay informed and make their voices heard through the ballot box to vote.”
For more information and to register for the forums, visit my.lwv.org and visit the calendar tab on the left-hand side.
Individuals can also visit vote411.org for candidate and ballot information.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com