The public will have two chances next week to hear local candidates speak at forums hosted by the Whidbey Island League of Women Voters.

On the south end, there will be a forum from 7-9 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland. The second League of Women Voters event will happen on the north end at 7 p.m., Oct. 4 at the Elks Lodge in Oak Harbor.

A third forum will be in Oak Harbor at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1 at Regency on Whidbey.

“I’ve gotten a barrage of questions from the public,” said Carla Grau-Egerton, co-president of the Whidbey Island League and chairwoman for the forum committee.

Sheriff candidates Rick Felici and Lane Campbell, county commissioner district 3 candidates Rick Hannold and Janet St. Clair and state representative positions 1 and 2 candidates Norma Smith, Scott McMullen, Dave Hayes and Dave Paul will appear at both League events.

Congressional candidates Rick Larsen and Brian Luke were unavailable, Grau-Egerton said.

League president Barbara Seitle will moderate the Freeland forum and member Mende McLean-Stone will ask questions at the Oak Harbor forum.

Grau-Egerton said she would stop accepting submissions for questions Saturday to give the moderators a chance to sift through the them.

“(There are) questions on everything from how to deal with mental health and substance abuse problems for the commissioner and state representative positions, questions on how to tackle transportation challenges to how to tackle different forms of taxes,” she said.

Although the topics will be similar, questions at each forum will be unique, she said. No questions will be accepted at the door.

“In order to maintain civil discourse, we prepare the questions in advance,” Grau-Egerton said.

Other topics will include affordable housing, environmental issues and law enforcement problems and solutions, she said.

The first candidate to answer the question will get 90 seconds to answer, the other candidates will have 60 seconds. The individuals will alternate who goes first each time, “so everybody gets a fair shake,” she said.

Sno-Isle Libraries is also supporting the events.

• For more information, email to lwv.whidbey@gmail.com