Residents planning to vote in the upcoming June primaries will be able to hear more about some of the candidates in the races at an NAACP forum on April 30.

Candidates from local races have been invited to come and share their platforms and take question at the Pike County Courthouse Monday, April 30 ahead of the election.

Dianna Bascomb, NAACP president, said this forum will provide an important opportunity for voters to ask questions of those asking for their votes and determine which candidates best align with their worldviews.

“At this point, their platforms should be more refined so they should be able to state what they are running on, how they plan to serve the constituents in this position,” Bascomb said.

Before the candidates begin taking questions though, the NAACP has invited local elected officials to come in and present what they’ve done and are doing for their constituents.

“It’s an opportunity for them to come before their constituents and present their success stories what they have done during tenure and what they plan to do,” Bascomb said.

Each elected official will have three minutes to present during the first portion of the program, which will begin at 6 p.m. and last until about 7:30 p.m.

At that point, the forum will shift to the candidates running for office, who will each have two or three minutes to share their platforms with the audience before taking questions. The forum will be moderated by local political columnist and former state representative Steve Flowers. This segment of the forum will run from approximately 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The forum will be held in the main courtroom at the Pike County Courthouse.

Local races include House District 89, probate judge, district judge, circuit judge, Pike County Board of Education seat 6, sheriff, coroner and circuit clerk.

The primary will be held on June 5 with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voter ID will be required. Absentee ballots are now available.