I saw something on WRBIradio.com this morning that most people probably scrolled right past.
The Ripley County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Meet the Candidates Night next month. Candidates for local office, up on a stage, answering questions from the public.
And here’s what I’d bet money on: the room won’t be as full as it should be.
That’s not a complaint about the Chamber. They’re doing exactly what they’re supposed to do — creating a space for the community to hear from the people who want to run it. It’s a good event. It always is.
The problem is us. Or at least, the version of us that decides a Monday evening isn’t worth rearranging for.
The Election Nobody Pays Attention To
Every two or four years, the national media descends on everyone’s television sets and tells us that this is the most important election of our lifetime. Maybe. I’m not here to argue about that.
But I’ll tell you what I know for certain: the people who decide whether your road gets fixed, whether your kids’ school has enough money, whether your county handles a flood response well or poorly — those people are on the ballot at the local level. Not the national one.
The county commissioner. The school board member. The township trustee. The folks running for judge or assessor or clerk. These are the decisions that have the most direct effect on day-to-day life in Ripley, Franklin, Decatur, and Dearborn County, and they’re made by people who, not long ago, were probably sitting in the same diner you were.
And yet. The turnout for local races is almost always a fraction of what it is for state or national ones. The number of people who could name their county commissioner is a fraction of those who can name their senator. The number of people who attend a candidates night like this one is a fraction of those who will spend hours arguing about national politics on their phone.
I’m not sure when the wires got crossed like that. But they did.
What a Candidates Night Actually Is
Here’s the thing about an event like this that people sometimes miss: it’s not just about the candidates.
Yes, you’re going to hear what they think about economic development and road funding and whatever issues are on the table this cycle. That’s valuable. You should hear that.
But what a candidates night really is, at its core, is accountability made visible. It’s the moment when someone who wants your vote has to stand up in a room full of neighbors and explain themselves. In person. Without a PR handler. Without a carefully edited social media post.
You get to watch how they handle a question they didn’t prepare for. You get to see whether they’re listening or just waiting for their turn to talk. You get to size them up the way you’d size up anyone you’re deciding whether to trust.
That’s information you can’t get from a yard sign. You can’t get it from a mailer. You can’t really get it from a website. You can only get it by being in the room.
The Room Sends a Message Too
There’s something else worth considering.
When a candidates night draws a big crowd, it sends a message to every person up on that stage. It tells them that this community is paying attention. That people care. That they’re going to be held accountable not just on election day, but by their neighbors, at events like this one, before the votes are even cast.
When the room is half-empty, it sends a different message. And I don’t think it’s one we mean to send.
I’ve lived in and around Southeastern Indiana long enough to know that this is not a community that doesn’t care. The fish fry volunteer who’s been standing over a fryer every Friday for thirty years cares. The people who showed up when the county flooded this week care. The folks who fill the gyms for sectional basketball care.
Caring about local elections is the same thing. It’s just another way of showing up for the place you live.
A Few Things Worth Remembering
I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. That’s not what this column is.
But I will say this: the best local officials I’ve ever seen aren’t the loudest ones. They’re not the ones who show up most on social media. They’re the ones who go to the meetings nobody else goes to. The ones who answer their phone. The ones who actually understand the budget. The ones who can explain a complicated issue without making you feel dumb for asking.
You’ll learn more about whether a candidate is that kind of person from one hour at a candidates night than from a month of campaign mailers.
The Ripley County Chamber is doing this community a favor by putting this event together. The least we can do is show up.
Keep an eye on WRBI for details on the date and location as we get closer. Put it on your calendar. Bring a neighbor who’s been saying they don’t know enough about the candidates.
And when you get there, ask a hard question. The candidate will be better for it. So will the county.
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Brent Lee is the morning host at WRBI 103.9 FM. His column runs regularly at wrbiradio.com.