Northwoods voters say candidate forum helped them make informed decisions

Together, a series of eight watch parties across Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, hosted by seven chapters of the League of Women Voters, welcomed more than 200 attendees

The candidate forum was sponsored by the League of Women Voters and included a series of watch parties within the 7th District for those who couldn’t attend the live debate that was hosted at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau. Taking part in the forum were District 7 hopefuls from both sides, Chris Armstrong, Nina Baum, Fred Clark, Kevin Hermening, and Ginger Murray.

Audience evaluations demonstrated that the forums helped voters better understand the candidates and their positions, while reinforcing the League of Women Voters’ commitment to providing fair, respectful, and nonpartisan voter education.

According to Debra Durchslag, president of the League of Women Voters of the Northwoods, the July 21 watch party of the 7th Congressional District Candidate Forum successfully fulfilled its mission of helping voters make informed decisions before Election Day.

Twenty-six community members gathered at Nicolet College to watch the live streamed forum, and 20 completed audience evaluations following the event. A watch party also was held at the Kalmar Center in Eagle River.

The evaluations done at Nicolet College showed overwhelming support for the league’s efforts, with 90% saying the forum helped them better understand the candidates and the issues. Ninety percent also said the format gave participating candidates a fair opportunity to present their views.

Nearly half of those attending reported they were only somewhat familiar, or not familiar, with the candidates before the forum, highlighting the importance of providing nonpartisan voter education opportunities.

Attendees praised the quality of the questions, the respectful discussion among candidates, and the opportunity to compare candidates side by side.

One attendee wrote, “The forum gave me a wealth of information to make a decision on who to vote for.” Another commented, “Excellent information, very fair. I learned a lot.” Others noted that hearing directly from the candidates helped clarify differences in positions and narrow their voting choices.

“The league is grateful to everyone who attended our watch party and completed an evaluation,” Durchslag said. “Our mission is to empower voters and defend democracy. These responses tell us that providing voters with fair, unbiased opportunities to hear directly from candidates continues to be one of the most valuable services we can offer our communities.”

Candidate forums remain one of the league’s signature voter education programs, giving voters an opportunity to hear candidates answer the same questions under the same rules in a respectful, nonpartisan setting. By helping voters compare candidates on issues that matter to their communities, the league seeks to strengthen informed participation in elections.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that neither supports nor opposes candidates or political parties. Its mission is to empower voters and defend democracy through voter education, advocacy, and civic engagement.

For more information about the League of Women Voters of the Northwoods or upcoming voter education events, visit lwvnow.org or contact the league at information@lwvnow.org.