League works to educate voters

In this age of contentious, partisan positioning, and campaign ads that maligned the opposition more than described positions of candidates, where do you find balanced, factual information about candidates and elected officials? Once elected, these candidates who serve on local school boards, our county Board of Supervisors and area legislators make policy decisions which influence our schools, county and state.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization which works to educate voters and protect the voting rights of all citizens. In spite of its name, membership is open to anyone 16 and older; men as well as women.

The Linn County League held nonpartisan candidate forums for local mayoral and school board positions in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha in March, primary forums for state legislative candidates in early June, and general election forums for all state House and Senate Districts in Linn County in October. There are legislative forums open to the public to ask questions of their local legislators. The first 2023 Linn County legislative forum is scheduled for Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at the Kirkwood Linn Regional Center in Hiawatha.

All area candidates for local, county and state positions, and now elected legislators, are invited to participate in League forums. Sometimes candidates or legislators have scheduling conflicts. But much more common is a lack of response from area candidates and then elected legislators. How does the general public learn their policy positions when candidates, and then elected officials, are not willing to answer questions from the community at our nonpartisan forums? Nonpartisan public forums are not the only casualty of this shutout; some candidates have not met with local editorial boards to share their views. Few candidates answer surveys such as the VOTE411.org site managed by the National League of Women Voters inviting candidates to indicate where they stand on issues prior to elections.

Some legislators take the position the League of Women Voters is not truly nonpartisan based on the questions asked at forums. Community attendees write the questions they want to ask; the LWV question sorter organizes the questions by topic and hands them off to the forum moderator. The League’s decisions of what legislation to support or oppose is based on what we believe will benefit the majority if Iowans; not a specific political party. A wide representation of the community at our forums benefits all constituents and we encourage voters regardless of political party affiliation to attend.

Citizens deserve to have opportunities to ask questions and hear in person from their elected officials without traveling to Des Moines. We hope all area legislators will make it a priority to participate in the upcoming forums. We hope constituents will hold their elected officials accountable to participate.

Mark your calendar to attend the 2023 Legislative Forums on the third Saturday in January, February, and March, in person, or view the livestream on the League of Women Voters, Linn County Facebook site.

Jean McMenimen is president of the League of Women Voters Linn County.