ALTON - The Coffee with Candidates event, hosted by YWCA and NCNW, has been rescheduled to next week due to winter weather.
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At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, community members are invited to the YWCA to meet with Alton’s aldermanic, city clerk, treasurer and mayoral candidates. Attendees can speak one-on-one about specific issues and learn more about each candidate’s background and platform.
“We’re really excited about this concept,” said Dorothy Hummel, YWCA Executive Director. “We think having a warm, comfortable environment where people can discuss what’s important to them and get to know the candidates is great.”
Madison County Clerk Linda Andreas will also be in attendance to present information on early voting, voting by mail, polling places and more. Hummel said Andreas has confirmed her attendance, and the YWCA and NCNW are now working to secure the other candidates.
Hummel encourages attendees to come prepared with questions or topics. She noted that this is a rare chance to speak to every candidate in one evening.
Aside from the treasurer and two aldermanic positions, which are unopposed, all candidates are running contested races. Hummel believes this is a positive, as it shows many people are interested in the local government.
She pointed out that voter turnout in previous local elections has been “dismal.” The YWCA and NCNW advocate for voters’ rights, and both organizations hope that the Coffee with Candidates event will encourage more people to come out, get to know the candidates, and cast their ballots during the consolidated election on April 1, 2025.
“We’re hoping that folks participate at greater levels this year,” Hummel said. “Anything that YWCA and NCNW can do to increase participation at the ballot box, we want to do that. We believe in folks learning about their candidates, learning about the issues that are going on in local government, and showing up or voting by mail or voting absentee, whatever, but just using their voice to get the candidates that they want in the offices.”
For more information about Coffee with Candidates, visit the YWCA’s official Facebook page.
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