League of Women Voters to host two candidate forums in Batavia

The League of Women Voters of Central Kane County will host two candidate forums, which will include candidates in contested races for the upcoming Nov. 3 General Election.

The forums will give voters an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates, learn about their positions on issues affecting their communities, and make informed decisions at the polls.

Both events will be held at Batavia City Hall, 100 N. Island Ave. BATV will be on site, recording the events and streaming to BATV’s YouTube Channel for online viewers. Each forum will be divided into three segments, each lasting roughly 30-40 minutes.

The first forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, with the contested races for Kane County Board. All of the candidates for Districts 2, 11, 13, and 15 have been invited to participate. It will be followed by candidates for state Senate Districts 33 and 42. The final segment is set aside for candidates in Kane County Sheriff race.

The second forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23. The first segment is reserved for the candidates in the race for Kane County Treasurer, followed by candidates for Kane County Clerk. The final segment features candidates in races for state representative in districts 49, 65, and 83.

Each forum segment will have a prescribed structure, including a round of opening statements, a series of questions posed to the candidates by a trained LWV moderator, and finally a round of closing statements. The audience will have the opportunity to submit questions prior to and during the forum.

Questions submitted by members of the audience will be reviewed by a team of League members for clarity and appropriateness, then forwarded to the moderator to be asked, subject to available time.

The League of Women Voters of Central Kane County has an “empty chair policy” which prohibits participation by a candidate if no opponent is present. Candidates in attendance whose opponents are absent will be given time for a 3-minute statement in lieu of taking part in the forum itself.

Recordings of the forums will remain on the BATV YouTube Channel through the election season. In addition, recordings will be archived at lwvckcil.com/candidate-issue-forums.

Kelly Rotella and Patti Lackman are the co-presidents of the LWV of Central Kane County, and they also share duties as co-chairs of Voter Service for the organization.

“Voters in our community deserve the opportunity to learn about their candidates for public office, so they can be best prepared to make informed decisions at the polls,” Kelly Rotella said. “We commend the candidates who have already confirmed their participation in the upcoming forums; and we urge any candidates who have not yet done so to send in their participation agreements without delay.”

“The League likens a candidate forum to a job interview. An applicant wouldn’t expect to be hired for a job if he or she refused to show up for the interview,” Patti Lackman added. “League of Women Voters candidate forums provide voters the opportunity to hear directly from their candidates, so they can make informed ‘hiring’ decisions when voting.”

Below are some important dates to know for the Nov. 3 General Election in Illinois.

• Sept. 24 through Nov. 2, 2026: Early Voting Period

• Nov. 3, 2026: Election Day

• Nov. 17, 2026: Last day to count mail-in ballots and provisional ballots

Due to changes in the processing of U.S. Mail, the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County highly recommends that voters using vote-by-mail plan to have their ballot in the U.S. Mail by Oct. 20.

After that date, mail-in ballots can be deposited in one of the official drop boxes provided by the county clerk.

For questions, email voterservice@lwvckcil.com or call (630) 360-2004 and leave a voicemail.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Learn more at lwvckcil.com.