League of Women Voters Council Voter Forum Cancelled After Republican Candidates Back Out

A voter forum of City Council candidates that had been planned by the League of Women Voters of the New Britain Area was cancelled because Republican candidates did not agree to participate.

The League of Women Voters said online that,

The League had looked forward to offering the public a chance to get to know their Ward candidates and to voice their concerns. However, League policy requires a balanced forum be presented. The response to our invitation to participate was 8 Democrats and one Independent participating, but zero Republicans. Therefore, it is with regret that we must cancel this event.

The forum had been planned for October 14th at the Boys and Girls Club.

“The League regrets that we cannot offer the public with this chance to get to know their candidates,” the nonpartisan organization said. “We believe that an informed electorate is necessary for democracy to function.”

Democratic Ward 3 Council candidate Candyce Scott says she is very concerned about the lack of a Council forum. She said that it is not helpful for democracy nor transparency in the city.

John McNamara, Democratic candidate for Council in Ward 4, said that, “This is akin to the MAGA/Republican playbook that state chapters and national LWVs cited last year in their efforts to organize congressional debates, though the debate did get done in the 5th CD. It’s another way to discourage voters from showing up at the polls.”

The League says that, “our guidelines for political events require balance between parties.”

Voter forums held by the League of Women Voters have been a staple of city election seasons for generations, with the League often filming the events and having them broadcast multiple times before elections for the benefit of voters.

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Editor’s note: John McNamara is a contributing writer for the New Britain Progressive.