Group holds meet and greet with elected officials
State Sen. Mario Scavello, R-40, speaks at a meet and greet organized by the League of Women Voters of Monroe County on Saturday. RAFAEL FONTONES/TIMES NEWS
On Saturday, the League of Women Voters of Monroe County held a meet and greet with local elected officials at the Hughes Library in Stroudsburg, with an emphasis on inclusiveness for the public to speak with elected Republican and Democratic officials.
The president of the Monroe County League of Women Voters, Barbara Keiser, stated the mission of this year’s meet and greet was to involve three major focal points: voter registration/education, casual open forum and bipartisanship.
“We are holding this meeting differently from how we have done so in the past; we wanted to make this event accessible and casual for the public, and to encourage conversations with representatives openly from different parties.”
As Keiser finished this statement, she made an announcement to encourage guests in attendance to continue moving around different tables to speak with each official.
State Sen. Mario Scavello, R-40; U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-7; and state Rep. Maureen Madden, D-115, were in attendance for discourse with the public. The open forum consisted of community attendees being able to sit down at each legislators’ table to listen in and discuss any pressing topics.
In the past, The League of Women Voters would have planned questions for each official to respond to individually in a more structured setting. The new open forum style initiated fluid, impromptu conversations among all attendees and legislators. An array of topics could be heard throughout the room, ranging from local budgets to the upcoming national primary.
In discussing the challenges facing the league, Keiser mentioned the lack of younger generations pursing membership and involvement. To combat this, The group continues to reach out to local colleges and offers discounted membership rates for new members under 35 years of age.
When asked what the event’s main take-away should be, Keiser again highlighted “voter registration and voter education.” This forum was meant to initiate active political involvement from community members on a local level through voter registration and open communication with elected officials. Informational pamphlets, including a government directory that includes local and national officials’ contact information, were provided to all guests.
