Community Matters by Deborah
Making Candidates Night Work for the Community

Mark Twain said, “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.”

And here in Oakmont, the rhyme goes like this: keep things controlled, keep things contained, and keep the community at arm’s length.

A well-run Candidates Night isn’t just a formality – it’s a critical tool for voter education and accountability. To be effective, it must be transparent, fair, and interactive, allowing residents to engage directly with candidates and demand real answers.

Oakmont has taken a step forward by involving three well-respected community members in selecting questions for the 2025 Candidates Night. But real progress means going further – ensuring elections are open, accessible, and built around direct member engagement.

Key Best Practices for an OVA Candidates Night

• Publish Candidate Statements Before Questions Are Submitted: Candidate statements should be published before the question submission deadline and well in advance of Candidates Night. Voters shouldn’t have to walk into a forum blind. Early access to statements allows members to evaluate candidates, shape relevant questions, and participate with full context.
• Let Members Read Their Own Time-Limited Questions: A real forum isn’t just candidates answering pre-screened, moderator-read questions. Members should read their own time-limited questions, just as they do in Board meeting open forums. Direct interaction strengthens accountability and ensures candidates are speaking to the community, not just a list of curated topics.
• Allow Follow-Ups When Candidates Dodge Questions: Nothing frustrates voters more than a non-answer. If a candidate dodges or deflects, members should be able to ask brief follow-up questions to demand clarity. A forum should challenge candidates to be direct, not provide an easy stage for rehearsed responses.
• Use a Transparent, Fair Question Selection Process: While community involvement in question selection is a step in the right direction, the process must be clear and fair. Questions should be grouped by topic, prioritized by community interest, and avoid redundancy. Transparency prevents any perception of bias or filtering.
• Create a Balance Between Structure and Real Debate: Time limits and moderation keep a forum organized, but rigid scripting kills meaningful discussion. Candidates should have opportunities to engage in real debate, not just deliver pre-set responses.

Last year, Oakmont Grassroots Organization helped offer two candidate forum events that featured three candidates, live audience questions, direct candidate responses, and meaningful follow-up questions. A moderator guided the discussion, ensuring an open yet structured exchange. This format encouraged real engagement, accountability, and direct interaction between voters and candidates—exactly what a community election process should look like.

What’s at Stake?

Candidates Night is more than an event – it’s a reflection of how seriously the Board takes transparency and community involvement. Do they trust members to ask real questions? To challenge vague answers? To hear candidates unfiltered?

A respectful, meaningful forum is one where candidates are tested, not protected—where voters walk away informed, not frustrated. Being an OVA Director is a big job, with critical responsibilities and oversight over a multimillion-dollar budget. The Central Area Complex-Model Three would surely involve tens of millions of dollars in development costs.

By adopting best practic – publishing statements early, allowing member-read questions, enabling follow-ups, ensuring fair selection, and fostering authentic discussi – OVA can strengthen its election process and empower its residents.

It’s time to stop repeating the same old rhyme. Oakmont deserves a new verse—one that values transparency, accountability, and real voter engagement.

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