Tomorrow We Vote is serious about voting and getting the vote out. And at the same time, we like to do things a bit different to make the political experience less intimidating. So, last Thursday, on February 7, we created a speed dating forum for the Mayoral and City Council candidates for Districts 5 & 8 in the Cosecha Co-Op, located next to the Tomorrow We Vote office.
The result was every candidate in city council showing up and the Mayoral candidates opting out and substituting themselves for surrogates to speak on their behalf. Members of the community came to support and participate and have an intimate 2-minutes with each of the candidates before moving on to the other.
This method was chosen due to the typical forum style which chooses selected questions written by audience members for each candidate to be asked and answered. As we like to give voters a chance to meet candidates intimately and know who they are personally, the speed dating allowed each person to have a conversation and actually get to know them.
The community style worked so well, people eventually ignored the 2-minute limits and began having deep conversations with each person in the room and with each other. The entire Cosecha space turned into a community center where all involved were listened to and allowed to express their concerns on which they’d like fixed in their districts.
Meanwhile, the entire event was recorded and broadcasted on Tomorrow We Vote’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts simultaneously to be rewatched, shared, and posted by anybody in Phoenix who wants to get their word and platform out for every voter participating in the March 12th event.
The Mayoral candidates missed out greatly in this opportunity for people to get to know them in a unique environment and choose community and voters over every thing else. Maybe the next scheduled events will convince them to participate and get to know the people who will put one of them in office. Check the videos above to view the event.
Photography by JJ Johnson of Intrinsic Imagery