The public will have the opportunity this month to hear local candidates share their views on the May 6 primary.
The Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce, Warsaw Rotary Club and EMBARQ are sponsoring the free meet-the-candidates forum.
The event will be April 30 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw.
This is the second year the forum is being held.
A similar event was held two years ago, sponsored by the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce and Warsaw Rotary Club."The purpose of the event is to allow voters to hear candidates speak who will be on the ballot in the May primary," according to Joy McCarthy-Sessing, Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce president.
Warsaw Rotary Club Treasurer and Representative Ken Locke said he hopes the event will encourage people to vote in the May primary.
"We want people to know their candidates and see them face to face where they can ask questions," Locke said.
Jack Moore, EMBARQ public affairs manager, said EMBARQ is pleased to partner with the chamber and Warsaw Rotary Club to sponsor the event.
"Voting is a privilege, and on behalf of EMBARQ, we feel the election process is important and people should take advantage of this event to hear the candidates' positions," Moore said.
The chamber mailed letters March 11 to the candidates running in the May 6 primary inviting them to speak at the event. Letters also were mailed to campaign officials for Democrat presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain.
McCarthy-Sessing said the chamber has not heard from the candidates' campaign officials on whether they will attend the event.
Each candidate who chooses to participate in the event will have two minutes each to share their views on the May primary.
Those who attend will have the opportunity to speak with the candidates after they share their views on the election.
The U.S. Representative 3rd District seat, currently held by Mark Souder, and the U.S. Senate seat, held by Evan Bayh, are up for election at the federal level for voters.
Statewide, the following positions are open for election: state senator 9th district, currently held by Ryan Mishler; state senator district 13, currently held by Robert Meeks; state senator 18th district, held by Thomas K. Weatherwax; state representative 18th (David Wolkins), 22nd (William Ruppel) and 23rd (William C. Friend) districts.
At the county level, the following positions are open for election: Superior Court I, currently held by Duane Huffer; Superior Court II, James Jarrette; Superior Court III, Judge Joe Sutton.
Other positions up for election are clerk of the circuit court, incumbent Sharon Christner; county treasurer, incumbent Kent Adams; county coroner, incumbent John Sadler; county surveyor, incumbent Richard Kemper; county commissioner northern district, Bradford Jackson; county commissioner middle district, Ronald D. Truex; and county council at-large seats, currently held by Tom Anglin and Bob Sanders.
Three local school boards have seats up for grabs in the May primary.
Tippecanoe Valley School Board districts 1 and 2 are up for election.
For Wa-Nee School Board, Olive, Scott and Jefferson townships' seats are up for election in Elkhart and Kosciusko counties.
Whitko School Board seats up for election in the primary include districts 1, 2 and 3.
