As the election approaches, we hear and experience more disinformation, misinformation, and voter suppression, or so it seems. What can be done to ameliorate this? One thing comes to mind quickly: Let’s hear directly from the candidates.
Just imagine the impact if all national, state, and local candidates responded to all levels of the League of Women Voter’s Guide questions and Vote411.org. Their comprehensive responses would greatly enhance voter education and empower voters to make informed decisions.
For the Voter’s Guide, we never edit the candidate's response, but we will send it back to them once for revision if it doesn’t meet the criteria for response per the rules given to them. Our Voter’s Guide is free, ensuring public access to vital information. In Dallas County, we distribute copies to libraries, recreation centers, churches, businesses, and colleges. If you can’t find a copy, it is available to download from our website, lwvdallas.org, or you can see the same information at VOTE411.org. We also provide bookmarks with QR codes to direct voters to this information.
Candidates' active participation in candidate forums is another key factor in enhancing voter education. These forums provide a platform for candidates to present their views and policies, thereby enabling voters to make more informed decisions about their vote. Whether you attend the live event or watch the recordings provided by our co-sponsors, the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, you are contributing to a more informed electorate. Please note that we only hold forums for races that affect Dallas County.
The League and our co-sponsors strive to offer candidate forums for every race in Dallas County. However, if we do not have one, it’s either due to an uncontested or non-competitive race or because one or more candidates chose not to participate. This follows League rules, which state that we do not hold a forum unless all candidates participate, ensuring fairness and equal opportunity for all.
We are holding Candidate Forums with our co-sponsors for the following races:
- US House District 32 on October 4 - more info and registration here.
- Texas House 115 on October 9 - more info and registration here.
- State Board of Education District 12 - October 15 - more info and registration here.
The above forums will be held at noon at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce office at 5710 LBJ, Ste. 100, Dallas 75240. The event is free, and you can register through the links above, or through clocking on the forum from our event calendar at lwvdallas.org. Recordings will be available a few days after the event.
We are not holding Candidate Forums for the following races:
- Texas House 108
- Texas House 112
- Dallas County Commissioner - District 1
- US House 24
Both major parties have candidates who either ignored the request or replied no. Declining to participate leaves impressions with me (my personal opinion) that:
- The candidate doesn’t have enough respect for the voters to want to inform them of their positions
- The candidate doesn’t have time to schedule an event to inform the voters
- The candidate is so sure of winning that they don’t want to participate in a public forum
- Or there could be other reasons
Please check our Voter’s Guide coming in mid-October, watch our candidate forums, and Vote. Make sure you are ready to vote by checking your registration at VoteTexas.gov. The last day to register is October 7.
In League,
Sandy Thornton
President – LWV Dallas