In an effort to provide voters with a closer look at candidates for the Central Bucks School Board, the county’s branch of the League of Women Voters invited the 11 candidates to participate in 20-minute online interviews.
While other LWV branches have held similar programs, this is a first in Bucks County, said Jean Weston, the local co-president.
“In the best of all possible worlds, we would do this with all the school districts, but with 13 districts that’s just not possible,” Weston said.
Central Bucks was chosen, she said, because, not only is it the fourth largest school district in Pennsylvania (Reading School District has eight more students, according to the 2020 Census), but also because, “it’s the only one (in Bucks County) in the national news.”
To date, six candidates have agreed to participate; two said they were unavailable and three have not responded, said Weston. “That’s a better response than I expected,” she added.
Those who said they were unavailable for any of the multiple Zoom dates and times, can respond to “similar, but different questions” in writing on the League’s “Vote 411” website, Weston said. Candidates for all Bucks County school board seats can let voters know more about themselves and their positions on the site.
Each candidate received the six questions in advance and will be interviewed by a League member who lives outside the district. Although providing questions ahead of time is not typical, Weston said, “We were concerned some might not respond otherwise, thinking there might be ‘gotcha questions.’”
The candidates will have 90 seconds to answer. An online timer, that candidates can see, will be used for the interviews.
Once all the interviews are completed, they will posted on the League’s Facebook page, its YouTube channel and on its website at the end of April and early May. The primary election is May 16.
The questions were created carefully, said Weston, to avoid a yes or no response and to ensure they don’t imply a right or wrong answer.
“We want to give voters a chance to really see who they want to support,” said Weston. “We hope all the candidates will agree; it’s in the best interest of voters.”
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan, non-profit organization established more than 100 years ago after women won the right to vote.
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