See the candidates in action

With just more than five weeks left until the Nov. 6 General Election, candidates are ramping up their campaigns and doing their best to get voters’ attention — mostly in the form of political ads, mailers and phone calls.

If you’re a voter looking to get a complete picture of a candidate, however, sometimes the best way to do that is to see him or her in person, in action.

Two upcoming forums will give voters the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates as they are asked questions focusing on topics ranging from health care and economic development to Medicare and issues impacting senior citizens.

Local senior advocate groups will host a forum Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Clark PUD Community Room, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way in Vancouver.

The legislative candidate forum will focus on aging policy issues and Washington’s readiness to meet the needs of the growing numbers of seniors in the area. The event will include a moderated discussion with invited legislative candidates and then time for questions from the audience.

The advocates organizing the event are AARP Washington, the ElderCare Alliance, the Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging and the Washington States Senior Citizens’ Lobby.

Another candidate forum will be held Thursday, Oct. 4, in Brush Prairie. This time it’s the League of Women Voters of Clark County, along with the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce, heading up the effort.

Candidates with confirmed attendance include those running for positions in the 18th Legislative District, Clark County Commissioner District 1 and Clark Public Utilities District 1.

The free event will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at The Cedars on Salmon Creek, 15001 N.E. 181st St.

Through these kinds of community forums, in addition to the other sources available — ranging from newspaper articles to the candidates’ own websites, citizens have the opportunity to become informed voters.