League Of Women Voters Says Voter Interest In Candidate Forums Increased This Year

By Amanda Gokee, New Hampshire Bulletin

Interest in candidate forums is up this year, according to the New Hampshire League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization that has hosted several forums this year.

One factor driving the interest is increased awareness of the Free State Project and libertarian-minded candidates running as Democrats or Republicans, said Liz Tentarelli, the league’s president.

“People are becoming aware of the fact that voting the party line doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to get candidates who share your party-line views,” Tentarelli said. “Because some of the Free Staters – most of them – are filing as Republicans rather than as Libertarians. They get the possibility of more votes. But there are some Free Staters running as Democrats.”

Tentarelli said turnout at candidate forums has been high, including an event with representatives from Gilford and Laconia that drew 50 to 100 community members. Both towns are in Belknap County, where the temporary closure of the county-owned ski area Gunstock sparked a reckoning over the role of Free Staters and proponents of extremely limited government in state government. The issue was at play in the primary, when some incumbents lost reelection as many voters voiced anger over the politicians’ role in Gunstock’s closure.

Beyond Belknap County, a bill proposing New Hampshire’s secession from the union, which was backed by some liberty-minded candidates, drew scrutiny. Voters are paying attention, with even those who typically vote along party lines trying to learn about individual candidates, according to Tentarelli.

The league had to cancel a forum in Concord after Republican candidates declined to participate. The league doesn’t host one-party events, but Tentarelli said the organization will need to revisit that policy ahead of the next election cycle.

“Otherwise it gives one party great control, to say, ‘We won’t participate, therefore cancel your forum.’ And it hurts the other party who wants to get their message out to the voters,” she said. It also denies voters the opportunity to hear from candidates in both parties about their positions and priorities.

The League of Women Voters’ forums are available online at lwvnh.org/candidate-forums-and-debates.

The New Hampshire Bulletin, the Granite State's newest independent, nonprofit news organization, delivers accountability reporting on New Hampshire politics and policies. The New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.