Town halls and public forums are high-impact moments to put PN-3 priorities in front of gubernatorial candidates — publicly, directly, and in real time. Coordinated engagement can elevate the issues, demonstrate visible community support, and prompt candidates to address the issues facing infants, toddlers, and families.
This guidance outlines how organizations and partners can prepare advocates, coordinate participation, and follow up effectively in a respectful, issues-focused way. Because town halls and other public forums are high-stakes, high-visibility situations, you should select only experienced, trusted, carefully trained advocates for these events.
Prepare Advocates for Meaningful Engagement
Before the event, decide what you want to get out of it: raise awareness, ask a specific question, build a relationship, or set up a follow-up conversation. Set participants up for success with:
- A short set of key PN-3 messages (plain language)
- Candidate and local context (what’s happening in your state right now)
- One or two questions to prioritize
- Clear roles and coordination expectations
The NCIT Technical Assistance portal is free and available to all NCIT members seeking support in identifying and cultivating relationships with grassroots advocates.
Encourage advocates to bring a brief story or example (one minute or less) that ties policy to real life for families, providers, or communities, and to highlight that they are a voter whenever possible.
Coordinate Turnout and Roles
Organized participation signals that early childhood priorities matter across the state. Designate a point person to:
- Invite parents, caregivers, providers, advocates, and partners
- Track who is attending and share logistics
- Assign who will ask which question, positioning only experienced, trusted volunteers to ask questions, and providing them with written questions that comply with the section 501(c)(3) rules
- Send day-of reminders and coordinate onsite
- If possible, wear organizational gear (i.e., a tee-shirt, hat, or pin) that easily identifies you as an advocate for young children
If attending with a group, consider spreading out in the room to increase the odds someone gets called on and to cover different Q&A lines or microphones.
Position Trusted Advocates to Ask the Question
Town halls often have limited time for audience questions. Planning ahead can increase the likelihood that your priorities are raised.
- Submit questions in advance when possible
- Arrive early to learn how questions will be collected
- Get in line early (or position near the aisle/mic)
- Make yourself visible: raise your hand confidently, make eye contact, be ready when called
- Keep the question short — the longer it is, the easier it is to dodge
If you have relationships with event organizers or hosts, use them to understand the format and how questions are selected.
Ask Questions that Will Land
Aim for questions that are clear, specific, and solutions-oriented.
Avoid framing questions in ways that could be interpreted as supporting or opposing a candidate, or that indicate there’s a “right” or “wrong” answer. Instead, focus on getting candidates to speak broadly about issues and solutions.
You can find sample questions to adapt to your state context in the appendix.
Capture the Discussion
Have at least one person recording with a clear view and audio before questions begin. If you expect a quick interaction after the event (rope line, handshake), consider a second phone recording audio to ensure you capture the response. Write down:
- The exact question asked
- The key points of the response
- Any commitment, follow-up offer, or staff contact
Please note: The recordings you made are for internal use and so you can accurately track what the candidate said. Do not share the video publicly during the campaign, because depending on the context, it may indicate unequal treatment of the candidates — that is, indicating which candidates are “good” or “bad” on your issues. But after election day, the video can be an important tool, holding the new governor accountable for adopting the policies they said they would enact if elected — and we certainly can make the video public when we need it after the election.
Follow Up to Reinforce Momentum
After the town hall, follow-up helps reinforce relationships and maintain momentum. Consider:
- Sending a thank-you email to the campaign or staff
- Sharing additional information or resources
- Documenting what was discussed and any commitments made
- Updating coalition partners
- Identifying next steps, such as meetings or briefings
If your question was not addressed due to time constraints, consider using social media to elevate the issue and invite further discussion. However, 501(c)(3) organizations must not imply that the candidate ignored the question, willingly or inadvertently.
For example:
- Post a photo from the event, ideally wearing organizational or advocacy-aligned attire that reflects PN-3 priorities
- Tag the candidate and note that you appreciated the opportunity to attend
- Share the question you hoped to ask, and explain that time did not allow it to be addressed (e.g., “People in [STATE] had so many questions that we couldn’t possibly ask them all in the room. Sharing one here, instead: …”)
- Express interest in continuing the conversation
- Reminder to identify yourself as a voter whenever applicable
Connecting Town Halls to Broader Engagement
Town halls work best as part of a larger plan — reinforcing other tactics such as meetings, social media engagement, and candidate education.
Keep engagement focused on issues and solutions, not support for or opposition to any candidate.
