Brunswick Town Council candidates Robert Moulton (from left), David Watson and Stephen Walker speak to voters at Curtis Memorial Library on Oct. 13, 2022. John Terhune / The Times Record

A dearth of contested elections in Brunswick has made the results of most town council and school board races this fall forgone conclusions. Yet some voters, with the help of two local organizations, are still working to inform themselves about the candidates who will guide the future of their town.

About a dozen residents trekked through the rain Thursday night to attend two candidate question-and-answer sessions hosted by Curtis Memorial Library and the League of Women Voters of Maine. Over the course of two hours, attendees listened to candidates, several of whom are running unopposed, share their thoughts on Brunswick’s most pressing issues.

“The goal is always to increase voter awareness and voter information because local candidates are so important to the daily lives of communities,” said co-organizer and moderator Barbara Kaufman, a volunteer with the League of Women Voters of Maine’s Portland chapter. “It’s not that often that the public gets to see beyond the screen.”

In the first hourlong session, Kaufman asked council candidates David Watson, Robert Moulton and Stephen Walker a series of questions on topics like the environment, affordable housing and taxes. School Board candidates Beth Bisson and Elizabeth Sokoloff answered questions about the challenges facing Brunswick’s schools during the following hour.

Other than Watson and Moulton, who are both vying for the Council’s District 1 seat, the candidates who spoke at the event are all running unopposed.

When Curtis librarian Hazel Onsrud reached out about putting together an event for Brunswick’s candidates, Kaufman soon realized that their organizations were a “perfect match.”

“Libraries are always purveyors of information, a place where communities can come together in a very civil and open way,” she said. “This particular event, I think, epitomizes the perfect partnership that’s possible.”

As baseless claims of voter fraud have eroded public confidence in the electoral process, connecting voters and candidates through neutral, non-partisan platforms have become more important than ever, according to Jen Lancaster, communications director for the League of Women Voters of Maine.

“Being the beacon of light in this storm of misinformation is what we try to do on the voter side,” she said.

A recording of Thursdays events will be available online at vimeo.com/curtislibrary. For those like event attendee Bonnie Anderson who want to learn more before they arrive at the polls on November 8, the League of Women Voters’ election website, vote411.org/maine, provides information on local candidates, ballot questions polling stations.

“It was a start, but we have to continue to do our research,” Anderson said of Thursday’s event. There’s so much to know.”