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Tuesday night was the first of two election forums hosted by the American Association of University Women.

The forum is an important step of the election process and gives people the opportunity to hear firsthand what the candidate thinks on a variety of topics posed to them.

This isn’t a TV ad, this isn’t a print ad — these are words right from the horse’s mouth, as it were. With forums comes an accountability for candidates in the form of direct questions from the public.

The best thing for the public is to attend these events and become a part of this important next step. Over the coming days leading up to the Nov. 9 election, the public will see a lot of information coming across on controlled avenues of advertising, but at the forums, this is your chance to ask the candidates direct questions on topics you are most concerned about.

The public, through forums, is not simply voting as part of the process, they are taking active roles in the process that will lend to making informed decisions this coming election.

If the public does not take this active role, they risk falling out of their part of the process. A healthy democracy requires its people to become part of it and a forum is a good first step.

While Tuesday night’s forum has come and gone, a second one will be held at the Government Center next Tuesday, starting at 6:30 p.m. Please consider being a part of this community opportunity.