Coast Lines - May 2015

Ask What You Will!

by Ellis Anderson -
This month, the Serve Hancock website revs up for the on-line candidates' forum, but we need reader input.  Submit your questions for candidates at the end of this column!

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Last month in this column, I announced “Serve Hancock.”  It’s a separate website the Cleaver is creating to offer voting information and to provide an online forum for candidates of some local races.  Below, we’ll explain how you can participate by sending us questions to be considered for inclusion in our forum. 

In the past month, the Cleaver team members who have volunteered for this rather formidable job, met and girded our loins with good humor, great enthusiasm and earnest intentions.  We’ve mapped out a plan for the forum and added flesh on the bare bones of the website, which you can see here:  www.ServeHancock.com

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To cover the expenses of the project, the six-member volunteer team decided to donate out of their own pockets instead of asking for sponsors.  By doing so, we hope reinforce our commitment to organizational neutrality. 

We think of Serve Hancock as an investment in the community - and in the Fourth Ward Cleaver, since we’ll be building credibility across the state and giving our sponsors one more reason to prize their commitment to the magazine.

While our volunteers are working in this project with more curiosity than expectations, we do believe the forum part of Serve Hancock will be tremendously popular and exciting.  

We’ll be hosting the online forum for four races:

• MS State House of Representatives - District 122
• Hancock County Supervisors
• Chancery Clerk
• Justice Court Judge Place 2
  
  

Why did we pick those four races?  Some Hancock County offices this year aren't being contested -  like Tax Assessor, Sheriff, and Justice Court Judge Places 1 & 3.  This first year of the forum, our volunteers won't have enough time to give full attention to Constable, Coroner and Superintendent races, although you'll find the full slate of candidates here. 

Forum candidates will have two opportunities to reach voters - at no cost.

• In Part One, candidates will be able to introduce themselves on the Serve Hancock website with a short bio and a photo.  They'll also be able to present their platform and explain why they feel they are uniquely qualified to hold the office for which they're campaigning.
• In Part Two, participating candidates will have the opportunity to respond to a set of relevant questions.  Their answers will be posted on the Serve Hancock website too.
  

The Serve Hancock Timeline:   

·      In mid-May, we’ll be sending out letters to candidates spelling out the forum rules and giving them an opportunity to submit information to participate in Part One of the Forum. 

·      First week of June: Bios and photos of participating candidates will be posted on “Serve Hancock.”

·      Also in the first week of June, candidates who have participated in Part One of the forum will be sent a list of questions. 

·      We’ll have their answers posted before the first of July.

Any candidate may choose not to participate in one or both parts of the forum.  Their candidacy will still be listed on the forum page for that election with the explanation that they “Chose Not To Participate.”

We’re working in good faith to start a shift in the local election process, so people can base their decisions on information, rather than ads and signs.  We’re also looking forward to educating ourselves in the process!

You can become part of the process too, by using the form below (or the one on the Serve Hancock website) to send us questions you’d like to see the candidates to consider. 

Also, share the link to this page with friends/family/children, business associates, or students you think would be interested.  One of Serve Hancock’s mission’s is to engage younger voters with the election process and this will be a fun way to do it! 

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