Starting on Monday, Sept. 30, Triad City Beat, a nonpartisan, independent newsroom covering Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point, will be kicking off a series of election-related events for the community. The series is part of the newsroom’s ongoing efforts to increase democracy in the Triad.

“We want to empower voters and make them feel heard as a community in the Triad,” says TCB Managing Editor Sayaka Matsuoka. “The goal is to incorporate ways to center everyday people, not just candidates during the election season.”

In the newsroom’s first event, the Triad’s two election directors — Charlie Colicutt of Guilford County and Tim Tsuji of Forsyth County — will be hosting an Elections 101 event at the Nussbaum Center in Greensboro on Sept. 30. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is open to the entire community. Attendees are encouraged to donate to the newsroom.

Then, on Oct. 7 and 8, TCB kicks off the Triad’s first “reverse town hall” events. Unlike town halls in which candidates are put on a stage, TCB will be identifying a small group of voters from diverse backgrounds to speak about their personal experiences and the issues that are most important to them when voting.

All candidates in local races will be invited to attend and sit in the audience. There will be time for Q&A from candidates and other voters during and after the panel portion. A live-polling, interactive activity is also planned for the events. Rally NC, a nonpartisan voter engagement organization will be operating voter registration tables onsite.

The schedule of events is as follows:

  • Elections 101 with Charlie Colicutt and Tim Tsuji: Monday, Sept. 30 @ 7 p.m., Nussbaum Center (1451 S. Elm-Eugene St., GSO) RSVP here.
  • Reverse Town Hall (Guliford County edition): Monday, Oct. 7 @ 6 p.m., The Flat Iron ( 221 Summit Ave., GSO) RSVP here.
  • Reverse Town Hall (Forsyth County edition): Tuesday, Oct. 8 @ 6 p.m., The Ramkat ( 170 W Ninth St.) RSVP here.

If you are a candidate who will be attending, please RSVP with Sayaka Matsuoka by emailing [email protected].

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