The League of Women Voters Wilmette (LWVW) is partnering with the Wilmette Public Library to hold candidate forums prior to the April 6, 2021 Consolidated (Local) Election. Local elections impact every area of our daily lives, including school quality, park district and library programming, public health and safety, and environmental sustainability. This year’s forums will be held via Zoom for safety and convenience. We hope you will join us and we especially hope you will VOTE!

 If you have questions for the candidates, please email the LWVW at: voterslwv [at] gmail.com by Friday, March 5th.

All participants must register for each event to attend and will receive an email immediately after registering with the Zoom link for the program.   

Ground Rules

1. The forum will be facilitated by League-trained moderator, Kathy Tate-Bradish, who does not reside within the Wilmette community. Kathy has been a member of the League of Women Voters of Evanston since 1988. She is an experienced moderator, and has served in most board positions including president.

She will be responsible for enforcing time limits and may interrupt the proceedings to enforce the ground rules and format agreed to by the candidates. The moderator will summarize the rules and format for the audience.

2. Candidates will have two minutes to make an opening statement. Candidates will draw lots for the order in which they will give their statement. 

3. Candidates will answer questions submitted in advance by the audience, and selected by LWVW and the moderator for topicality and appropriateness. The moderator will read the questions and candidates will have ninety seconds to respond. As questions are asked, the candidate responding first will alternate. 

4. Candidates may be offered a limited opportunity to make rebuttals at the moderator’s discretion and if time permits. Rebuttals may not be used to rebut an opposing candidate’s rebuttal.

5. Candidates will be given one minute to make a closing statement. Closing statements will be given in reverse order from the opening statements.  

6. Candidates’ opening and closing statements, responses to questions and rebuttals will be timed. League members will keep time and display countdown cards visible to the candidates and moderator.

7. Candidates may not use visual aids for display to the audience. Please refrain from having campaign materials visible (e.g., campaign sign hanging in background). Candidates may not be helped in their answers by anyone else, either on- or off-screen.