As the general election approaches on November 3, civic organizations, neighborhood coalitions, and local business groups throughout Ventura County are mobilizing to host a comprehensive series of public candidate forums. Designed to give residents direct exposure to the individuals seeking public office, these events will span multiple municipalities and address contests ranging from neighborhood school boards and city councils to regional leadership, state legislative seats, and federal representation.
The initiative is largely anchored by the non-partisan League of Women Voters of Ventura County, alongside several regional chambers of commerce, local branches of the American Association of University Women, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. All scheduled gatherings are free and open to the public, with organizers working to ensure broad accessibility through in-person attendance, digital live broadcasts, and archived video recordings hosted on organizational portals and social channels.
While the majority of the programming focuses heavily on localized municipal council contests, several sessions have been structured to encompass wider governmental roles. Voters attending or streaming the sessions will hear discussions involving candidates for the California State Assembly, the U.S. House of Representatives, county-wide educational leadership positions, community college trustee seats, and key municipal fiscal ballot questions.
The forum series commences on Wednesday, September 16, in Port Hueneme. Taking place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Port Hueneme City Council Chambers located at 250 N. Ventura Road, the event focuses entirely on candidates running for the Port Hueneme City Council. The gathering is presented through a joint partnership between the League of Women Voters of Ventura County and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
The following evening, Thursday, September 17, civic attention shifts to Thousand Oaks for a two-hour forum beginning at 6:00 p.m. Hosted by the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, the session will be staged at California Lutheran University's Lundring Events Center, located at 60 W. Olsen Road. The event is scheduled to feature contenders for the Ventura County Community College District Area 2 seat as well as Thousand Oaks City Council hopefuls representing Districts 1, 2, and 3. Community members unable to attend in person can view the session through a live feed on the chamber's official Facebook page.
On Tuesday, September 22, voters in the Santa Clara River Valley will have an opportunity to evaluate their local candidates during an evening hosted at the Santa Paula Community and Senior Center at 530 W. Main St. Co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, the forum is divided into two distinct segments: a review of Santa Paula City Council candidates for Districts 2 and 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:20 p.m., followed immediately by a discussion from 7:30 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. involving candidates for Santa Paula Unified School District Area 5.
Moorpark is slated to host its candidate presentations on Friday, September 25, at the Moorpark High Street Arts Center, situated at 45 E. High St. Co-organized by the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters, this multi-tiered event begins at 5:30 p.m. with contenders for California's 26th Congressional District. Following the federal panel, the schedule features candidates for Moorpark City Council District 1 at 6:30 p.m., concluding with a dedicated session from 7:20 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for the Moorpark Unified School District Board Area 1 contest.
In the Ojai Valley, local governance takes center stage on Monday, September 28. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the League of Women Voters will stage a candidate forum at Kent Hall inside the Ojai City Council Chambers, located at 111 W. Santa Ana St. The 90-minute meeting will highlight contenders seeking election to Ojai City Council Districts 1 and 2.
Mid-week activity on Wednesday, September 30, presents two simultaneous forum events across the county. In Oxnard, the League of Women Voters will convene at the Oxnard City Council Chambers at 305 W. Third St. Starting at 6:00 p.m., candidates running in Oxnard City Council Districts 1, 2, and 5 will present their platforms until 7:15 p.m., after which an informational segment running from 7:30 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. will explore the city's pending Sales Tax Measure.
Concurrently on September 30, the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce will host an extensive four-hour program at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, located at 3050 E. Los Angeles Ave. An informal candidate meet-and-greet starts at 5:00 p.m., followed by the formal forum from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The lineup covers the Simi Valley mayoral race, the Simi Valley City Council, the Simi Valley Unified School District Board, and the Ventura County Board of Education District 4. The Chamber will broadcast the proceedings live across both its Facebook and YouTube platforms.
The calendar extends into October with a session in Thousand Oaks on Thursday, October 1, at the Thousand Oaks City Council Chambers, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Co-hosted by the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women Thousand Oaks branch, the evening starts at 6:00 p.m. with candidates for California Assembly District 42, transitioning at 7:00 p.m. to a review of Thousand Oaks City Council candidates representing Districts 1, 2, and 3.
On Monday, October 5, Camarillo residents can attend a forum at the City of Camarillo Council Chambers, 601 Carmen Drive, presented jointly by the League of Women Voters and AAUW Camarillo. Running from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., the first block will feature candidates seeking the position of Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, followed from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. by contenders for Camarillo City Council Districts 1, 2, and 5.
Simi Valley voters will have a second opportunity to engage with municipal candidates on Tuesday, October 6. Held at the Simi Valley Council Chambers at 2929 Tapo Canyon Road, this gathering is co-hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The forum opens with mayoral candidates from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., followed by a panel featuring candidates running for Simi Valley City Council Districts 1, 2, and 4 from 7:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The city of Ventura will conclude the regional schedule with two separate district-specific forums at local educational venues. On Wednesday, October 7, Balboa Middle School at 247 S. Hill Road will host debates for Ventura City Council Districts 4 and 5 starting at 6:00 p.m., followed by Ventura Unified School Board Area 4 and 5 candidates from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The final event on Thursday, October 15, takes place at Anacapa Middle School at 100 S. Mills Road, running from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and focusing exclusively on Ventura City Council Districts 1 and 6.
To assist voters who are unable to participate live, recorded video coverage of all forums administered by the League of Women Voters will be uploaded to its website at LwvVenturaCounty.org within a few days of each broadcast. Through this expansive slate of debates and digital resources, organizing groups aim to equip the electorate with the necessary insights to make informed decisions on the November ballot.
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