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A BUSY ELECTON SEASON: 2010
ANNUAL VOTER SERVICE REPORT Prior to the November 2009 Ventura Citywide Election, we held two Candidates' Forums: Ventura City Council Candidates and Ventura Unified School Board District Candidates. Both were held in GUTHRIE HALL on the Ventura College Campus. All 12 candidates for Ventura City Council were present. David Maron Moderated. Because of the large number of candidates, we focused on 3 candidates at a time with the Moderator asking each approximately 4 to 6 questions to each of the 3 candidates. Then we moved on to the next group of 3 with some of the same questions and some new ones. All questions came from the audience. Over 100 persons were in attendance and the event was televised by CAPS TV of Ventura. The Ventura Unified School Board had 5 candidates (3 incumbents and 2 challengers). There was a full house of attendees again. One challenger was controversial so the Teachers Union, which was supporting the three incumbents, put the word out that all teachers in the District should be present. It was a good forum; many good questions were asked and many topics were covered during the time allowed. There were three ballot measures on the Ventura November 2009 ballot. Nell McCombs and the Ventura Unit organized an exceptional program at Anacapa Middle School with pro & con panelists for each of the measures. The forum was well attended and it was broadcast by CAPS-TV. Planning for the June 8th, 2010 election began early, as soon as the new year arrived. David Maron interviewed Timm Herdt on CAPS TV covering each of the 5 ballot measures. Timm is Sacramento Bureau Chief of the Ventura County Star Newspaper. Fifty copies of the resulting DVD were made and distributed to LWV Unit Leaders and all others who called to ask for a Pros & Cons presenter to come and speak to their group. "All others" included several Church groups and a few Retirement Homes. The video was also posted on YouTube in three parts and the Ventura County Star also posted it on their website. The one organized Voter Registration effort was on Martin Luther King Day at a celebration, in his honor, in Ojai. All other registrations were done at random. Several of us carried blank registration forms with us wherever we went. Three Candidate Forums were scheduled for late April and May, one in the City Council Chambers of Simi Valley, one at Cal Lutheran University Oxnard Campus located in the Oxnard Outlet Center and the third in the Thousand Oaks City Council Chambers in Thousand Oaks. The First Forum covered three County Offices: Candidates for Treasurer/Tax Collector, Candidates for County Clerk/Recorder and Candidates for County Supervisor of the 4th District. The Second Forum covered three county Offices: Candidates for Treasurer/Tax Collector, Candidates for County Clerk/ Recorder and Candidates for Sheriff. The Third Forum covered: Candidates for Sheriff and Candidates for County Supervisor of the 2nd District. There was controversy with at least two groups of candidates and that controversy brought out the voters - decisively. One candidate, who was not present at his first scheduled forum and was present at the second scheduled forum was most complimentary about how "fair" and "well run" LWV's forums are. All forums were televised - some with a "Live" presentation, all with many random presentations "on air" during the weeks before the election. MANY, many thanks go to all the Volunteers of LWV who staffed these events and who we depend upon order to present Candidates Forums to the public. VOTER SERVICE of LWV has one prime obligation: To encourage and inform Voters so that they will become active participants in government which, in turn, influences public policy. We covered Ventura County geographically with Forums and their local TV audiences. We chose Forums of Candidates from the County Offices that the public knows best. Questions used were provided by members of each audience. The public and their concerns were heard.
When compared to any Forum I have ever seen - the League of Women
Voters of Ventura County does the best presentation with CLASS. We could hold
our own against any Forum, anywhere. Now, we are looking forward to November
2010, what it will bring and who, what, and how we plan to cover as much as
possible.
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