20130228_Presentation_League_of_Women_VotersLeague of Women Voters Protocol for Conducting Candidate Forums
In order for the League of Women Voters to maintain our reputation as a reputable, non-
biased provider of forums and debates for candidates for elected office, we require that
sponsoring groups adhere to rules governed by the League of Women Voters, national,
state and local.
The sponsoring group must engage in a planning session (in person or electronically) at
least one week before the scheduled forum.
The LWV is required to approve the format to be used by the forum sponsors.
The letter mailed out to the candidates must outline the rules of the forum; the number of
minutes for opening and closing statements, number of minutes for answering questions.;
drawing of numbers for seating: the reassurance that questions will be asked in different
order so that no candidate always answers in the same order.
The LWV will determine, by screening questions, to eliminate those that are inappropriate
or duplicates.
There are two methods of asking questions. The more usual manner is for questions to be
written on cards by members of the attendees at the forum. The sponsoring group should
provide 3 X 5 cards to those who wish to ask questions. Questions from a panel of
community residents is also an effective format: Meet ahead of time to write a broad range
of acceptable questions to educate voters more effectively and avoid any appearance of
bias; avoid giving them to candidates in advance.
Make sure questions are to the point and focussed: Lead with a relevant fact about the
issue to establish the importance to the candidate and then ask the question.
Have a mix of open-ended vs. yes/no questions: Open-ended questions allow candidates to
freely characterize their positions, which can provide insight into their priorities and
overall perspectives on the issues; Yes/No ones are effective to get positions on a specific
issue.
Finally, the candidates must be advised that no campaign literature is available in the same
room as the candidates, and must be available to the public only after the end of the forum.