Our Daily Show Interview! East End Improvement Candidate Forums Start Feb. 4th!
ALTON - The East End Improvement Association is set to host candidate forums for Alton and Godfrey aldermanic, trustee, and mayoral candidates. On February 4, 2025, at the Great Rivers Hotel in Alton, the Alton candidates will introduce themselves and speak on their platforms. On February 11, 2025, at the Trimpe Building at Lewis and Clark Community College, the Godfrey candidates will speak on their platforms.
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These candidate forums will be done in advance of the consolidated election scheduled for April 1, 2025. The forums aim to increase voter engagement and provide a platform for candidates to present their views to the community.
Steve Schwartz and John Keller, both members of the East End Improvement Association, spoke this week on Our Daily Show! with host C.J. Nasello.
Schwartz, who will moderate the events, and Keller discussed their plans. The forums will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
"We want the community to get to know the candidates and to encourage higher voter turnout," Keller said. Keller and Schwartz noted that in the 2021 election, less than 25 percent of the population voted, with only 3,700 ballots cast out of 17,500 registered voters.
"If we can increase that turnout, we will consider it a success," he added.
The forums will feature a structured format, allowing the mayoral candidates to answer questions from the public. Attendees will be provided with 3 x 5 cards when they arrive to submit questions, which will be consolidated to avoid repetition. Mayoral candidates will have the opportunity to give two opening statements of 1.5 minutes each and will be allotted two minutes for closing remarks. Other candidates for offices will be given 3 minutes to discuss their platform.
Schwartz emphasized the importance of voter participation, stating, "As citizens, it is an honor and privilege to vote, and it is our responsibility to learn about the candidates."
He also mentioned that candidates are encouraged to stay after the forums to engage with residents on specific issues, such as local concerns, for example, potholes.
The upcoming candidate forums are part of a broader effort to foster civic engagement and ensure that voters are informed ahead of the upcoming elections.
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