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FAIRMONT - Next Tuesday's candidate meet-and-greet by the Marion County Chamber of Commerce is a way to get beyond the ballot - while getting ahead of the general election in November, Chamber President Dani DeVito said.
"We don't get a chance to meet our local candidates firsthand," she said of the event that runs from 5-7 p.m. at Colebank Hall on the campus of Fairmont State University.
"This will be a good way to get to know them a little," DeVito added.
For a crowded race for city council - nine candidates vying for five seats - that's definitely a plus, the former TV news reporter said.
"I remember covering events where by the time the candidate finished introducing himself, it was time to sit down," she said.
“This is our gathering for our Fairmont and Marion County candidates," she said, "so we wanted to get past that."
Along with council candidates, those running for county commission and magistrate posts have also accepted invitations, she said.
"From 5 to 6:30 p.m., we have it set up where candidates will just be talking to people," she said. "You'll go up to them and say hello. They'll come up to you and say hello."
After that, she said, the proceedings get a little more formal to close out the evening.
Fairmont State's Wallman Hall will be the site of another Chamber-sponsored gathering for House of Delegates candidates.
They'll assemble from 2:30-5 p.m. Oct. 11 for a more formal question-and-answer session.
Same for Senate candidates at their forum, which will run those same hours Oct. 18 at Colebank Hall.
"Come out and ask questions," DeVito said. "Ask them about the issues that are important to you. That's why we're doing this."