The League of Women Voters of Washington County will host a voter participation forum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19 in the Walker Community Room of the Fayetteville Public Library.
The event will include a panel discussion on ballot issues voters will face this November including local liquor-sales votes and the statewide medical marijuana issue.
One of the goals of the forum is to increase voter participation in Arkansas, which organizers said have been historically low.
“Arkansas has one of the lowest voter participation rates in the nation, so it’s important to look at what we can do to reverse that trend,” said Mary Alice Serafini, president of the organization.
The discussion will also serve as the group’s annual membership meeting, where members seek to get more people in the community involved in their nonpartisan mission of civic engagement.
The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. The panel discussion starts at 6 p.m.
Panelists include Janine Parry, professor of political science at the University of Arkansas, and Greg Harton, editorial page editor for Northwest Arkansas Newspapers. The forum will be moderated by Laura Kellams of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
This event is open to the public, and the forum will be followed by a question and answer session with the panelists.
In your discussion of ballot initiatives please include the cities of West Fork and Tonitown. Both cities have initiatives before voters Nov. 6 that world dissolve their autonomous Water Commissions. West Fork wants to establish a Water and Sewer Department under city oversight.. Tonitown wants to return to a Water Committee.
If you are unable to attend, the UA Division of Agriculture will have fact sheets on the ballot issues at its website, ppc.uaex.edu. The fact sheets should be posted in the next few days.