Speed candi-dating: The new way to know your candidates

Getting to know the candidates for smaller offices like the city council or the legislature can be tough for most voters. You usually never get to meet them in person or get more than a flier in the mail or at your door.

But Kent is trying to change that.

It’s offering “speed candidating” where the candidates rotate between tables of voters. They get to spend 5-to-8 minutes with each group before moving on. Andrea Keikkala is executive director of the Kent Chamber of Commerce. She tells MyNorthwest.com the candidates can do whatever they want during their table time.

“If they want to just take questions from the people at the table,” she said. “If they want to do a speech. If they want to prepare comments. Whatever they want for those 5-to-8 minutes, and then the bell rings they get up and they move tables.”

And no, you can’t ring the bell early.

The Chamber first tried this last year for the city council candidates. The candidates for the legislature get their chance Thursday night.

The event starts with a social hour at 5 p.m. at the Kent Senior Activity Center, 600 E. Smith. The speed candidating starts at 6 p.m. It’s free for members of the Chamber. Non-members will be charged $20 for the catered reception prior to the event.