FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2022
CONTACT
Shelly Lewis, President
League of Women Voters of Geauga
(440) 670-4833
Shelly.Lewis@lwvgeauga.org
LWV Geauga Invites Candidates to its Fall Forum
State League’s ‘Empty Chair Policy’ May Impact Event
Geauga County, OH - The League of Women Voters of Geauga (LWVG) will host one candidate forum prior to Ohio’s November 8, 2022, General Election. This event, slated to take place on Thursday, October 6 at 7 p.m. at West Geauga Middle School, will provide a platform to candidates who respond - as attending - to the LWVG’s participation request by the September 20, 2022 deadline.
Certified candidates for these contested races have been invited to participate:
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14th District Congressional Representative
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11th District Court of Appeals, Judge
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35th District Ohio Representative
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99th District Ohio Representative
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9th District Ohio Board of Education
Voters will have the option to attend in person, watch in real-time from any remote location or view the recorded forum at a later date on the official LWVG YouTube channel. Live streaming and recording will be provided by Geauga-TV. Additionally, the recording will be shared by other League chapters in the region, including those in Lake, Ashtabula, Trumbull, Northern Portage, Canton, Kent, Hudson and Akron.
“The League believes that voters deserve to hear directly from the candidates who wish to serve them. We also believe the community deserves the courtesy of knowing which candidates will participate,” said Shelly Lewis, LWVG President.
Each race is subject to the LWV Ohio Empty Chair Policy. This policy prohibits local Leagues from presenting state or regional races when only one candidate agrees to take part. In short, LWVG will only present races where both parties agree to participate. The League will not communicate reasons for non-participation.
Candidate participation status will be shared on LWVGeauga.org, through official League social media outlets and as part of the printed voter guide that will be published by local media on September 29, 2022.
We will indicate one of three responses:
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Candidate will participate
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Candidate will not participate
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Candidate did not respond
LWVG events have been widely praised for being informative, well-organized, civil and fair to all. It is the goal of the Geauga LWV chapter that each and every candidate and voter will take advantage of this opportunity to affirm the value of our democratic processes.
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ABOUT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF GEAUGA
The League of Women Voters of Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.