Besides holding official Candidate Forums, another great way to promote your upcoming Election is to invite Candidates to your next Board Meeting so they can introduce themselves and get a taste of what a Board Meeting is like.
You may agendize this item, or simply invite Candidates to speak during the public comment period. Either way, when you extend the invitation to Candidates, they must all be notified of the invite at the same time. When you invite them, let the Candidates know they will only have 1-2 minutes to speak, and that during that time, they should state their name; the seat they’re running for; and their key issue(s), and also a brief explanation of their relationship to your Neighborhood. To conform to Neighborhood Council Election Policies, make sure each Candidate has the same amount of time to speak, and that each is given equal attention at the meeting itself and in any announcements leading up to it.
When you email your Board Meeting Agenda to stakeholders, be sure to announce that the Candidates will be introducing themselves during the meeting. You can even choose to have Candidates stick around and meet Board Members and the public after the meeting is over. If your Council or Election region has any upcoming Candidate Forums where the public can see Candidates debate or do a more formal Q&A, make sure to announce the details at your Board Meeting – and if possible, have flyers for the Forum(s) available for the public.
