Weekend Workshop To Help Potential Candidates For Local Office

ElectionDENNIS – The League of Women Voters of the Cape Cod Area is partnering with Cape Cod Young Professionals and the Cape Women’s Coalition to offer a workshop aimed at encouraging area residents to run for office.

“Don’t Just Stand There, Run!” will feature local campaign experts along with previously elected officials.

Chris Meade, a board member of the League of Women Voters of the Cape Cod Area, said voter participation on the Cape is decreasing and about 70 percent of local races are uncontested.

“We are very concerned about the number of uncontested races in local elections,” she said. “Voters need more choices.”

Meade said the workshop is targeted towards people who are not sure how to begin a candidacy

“Hopefully, with some of this information, it might encourage them to seriously consider running for office,” she said.

The workshop is free and open to the public and will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Cape Cod Community Media Center in Dennis.

Liz Rabideau, co-chair of the Cape Women’s Coalition said she would like to see an increase in the percentage of women involved in town governance.

“We would like to see a balance that better reflects the diversity of Cape Cod,” Rabideau said. “The first step in the process is offering education and resources, like this workshop, in order to achieve this goal.”

CCYP also wants to get more young people involved in civic affairs, including attending town meetings and serving on municipal boards.

“This is exactly the sort of partnership and training our members indicated they want in the Shape the Cape study,” said Anne Van Vleck, executive director of CCYP.

The study was commissioned by CCYP to get data about the exodus of young people from the Cape.

Registration for the workshop is encouraged but not required. To register for the event email [email protected] or call 508-945-0511.

By BRIAN MERCHANT and MATT McCARTHY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter

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