Hear the candidates at forum set for Oct. 2
For those who are undecided on whom to vote for in November’s general election, there will be an opportunity to get up close with the candidates and hear what they have to say.
The North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce and the North Fort Myers Civic Association will host another candidate forum on Thursday, Oct. 2, starting at 6 p.m. at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center.
The event will provide an opportunity for area voters to meet and discuss the issues with the candidates that they will be voting for on Nov. 4 general election, in a format similar to that of the last forum in August, according to Al Giacalone of the Chamber of Commerce.
“The first 45 minutes will be an informal meet and greet with the voters, followed by the portion where the candidates will get a few minutes to tell us about themselves,” Giacalone said.
From 6 to approximately 6:45 p.m. voters may visit with the candidates to get to know them and discuss the issues. At around 7 p.m., there will be a public forum where the candidates will talk about themselves, their ideas and why we should vote for them.
Candidates invited include those running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Districts 17 and 19, Lee County Commission District 4, Lee County School Board District 4, and Lee Memorial Health System Board of Directors.
“Invitations were sent out to 27 candidates on the ballot. We have a lot of candidates in the health board race, about 15 right there,” Giacalone said. “That makes for a lot of people.”
The amount of candidates who show up will dictate how long they’ll speak, since they have to be finished by 9 p.m.
A representative from the Supervisor of Elections office will be on hand to help with or answer questions about voter registration, ballot by mail or updating your address or signature.
The hope for everyone is that more voters show up for this forum than the last one, where it was mostly candidate entourages.
“We do our best to promote the event. We’ve given out fliers this week, so hopefully we’ll see them in the Chamber businesses and that the civic association will get around the community,” Giacalone said.
“I’m always hoping for a lot more during the election. There are a couple races where the voters might want to know these people and ask them a question,” said Gregg Makepeace, president of the North Fort Myers Civic Association.
For more information, call Makepeace at 567-0740 or Giacalone at 246-9055.