Post last updated at 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12:
Lawrence voters will have more chances to get to know the candidates vying for the elected positions that most directly affect their day-to-day lives.
Three Lawrence City Commission seats and five Lawrence school board seats are on the ballot. The general election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Meet the candidates and find out how to register to vote, double-check your registration and/or request a mail ballot on our election page, lawrencekstimes.com/election2023. The deadline to register to vote or update your registration is Tuesday, Oct. 17; advance voting begins the following day.
Here are the upcoming forums that are open to the public unless otherwise noted. (We’ll add to this list as we find out about more of them and confirm details, and past forums will be bumped to the bottom with links to our coverage.)
Lawrence City Commission candidates:
No more upcoming forums!
Lawrence school board candidate forums:
No more upcoming forums!
Past forums and coverage:
Past Lawrence City Commission candidate forums:
• 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20: Lawrence Board of Realtors and Lawrence Home Builders Association. At Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire St.
“The forum is intended for the real estate community, and questions will be tailored to housing, housing affordability, housing opportunity, development, development policy, etc.,” Rob Hulse, executive vice president of LBOR, said via email. “Due to the narrow theme, we’ve kept this as a membership and membership guest event for the Lawrence Board of REALTORS® and Lawrence Home Builders Association. However, we won’t turn anyone who attends away.”
Check out the candidates’ responses to the LBOR questionnaires at this link.
• 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28: Downtown Lawrence Inc. forum on the second floor of Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, 804 Massachusetts St.
Questions will come from a committee within Downtown Lawrence Inc., the “nonprofit organization dedicated to the enrichment, preservation, and promotion of Downtown Lawrence as the cultural and commercial heart of the community,” according to a news release about the event.
• 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2: League of Women Voters of Lawrence + Lawrence Public Library. Join in person at the Lawrence Public Library auditorium (707 Vermont St.) or join via Zoom at this link.
• 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4: Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. Not open to the public due to limited space. Check out the chamber’s candidate questionnaires at this link.
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4: North Lawrence Improvement Association forum at the North Lawrence train depot, 402 N. Second St.
• 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7: The Lawrence Kansas branch NAACP in partnership with Black:30 and Loud Light at the Lied Center Pavilion, 1600 Stewart Drive. The city commission candidate forum is set for 3 to 4 p.m.; visit informally with them from 4 to 4:30 p.m.
“The purpose of this forum is to give the BIPOC constituents an opportunity to hear candidates discuss the issues of importance to them in this election in order to amplify BIPOC voices in our community,” according to the event page. “This candidate forum will serve as a means of centering BIPOC voices in a space that has not been historically accessible and tailored to our concerns.”
Past Lawrence school board forums:
• 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20: League of Women Voters of Lawrence + Lawrence Public Library. Join in person at the Lawrence Public Library auditorium (707 Vermont St.) or join via Zoom at this link.
• Noon Saturday, Sept. 23: PAL-CWA (Personnel Association of Lawrence), the classified staff union of Lawrence Public Schools. At the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St. Child care will be provided.
• 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7: The Lawrence Kansas branch NAACP in partnership with Black:30 and Loud Light at the Lied Center Pavilion, 1600 Stewart Drive. The Lawrence school board candidate forum is set for 1:15 to 2:30 p.m.; visit informally with them from 2:30 to 3 p.m. City commission candidates will follow.
“The purpose of this forum is to give the BIPOC constituents an opportunity to hear candidates discuss the issues of importance to them in this election in order to amplify BIPOC voices in our community,” according to the event page. “This candidate forum will serve as a means of centering BIPOC voices in a space that has not been historically accessible and tailored to our concerns.”
• 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11: Lawrence Chamber of Commerce forum. Not open to the public due to limited space. Check out the chamber’s candidate questionnaires at this link.
Are we missing a forum that should be on this list? Please let us know!
See coverage of previous forums and more on our election page, lawrencekstimes.com/election2023.
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