Poulsbo voters will have a chance to vet mayoral and City Council candidates at a forum next week.

And those who cannot attend the Sept. 29 Kitsap League of Women Voters forum can watch it on TV – Kitsap’s cable access channel, BKAT, will replay the forum.

Audience members can submit question suggestions, and moderator Catherine Ahl, president of Kitsap League of Women Voters, said she will comb through local newspapers to pick engaging questions.

“We want the people that reside there and know of the issues to bring up the issues they want to hear about,” Ahl said. “You can read in the voter’s pamphlet what candidates have to say about themselves, but they aren’t going to answer all your questions.”

Poulsbo has just two contested elections this year, but all candidates up for election will be questioned during the forum, Ahl said.

In the mayor’s race, incumbent Kathryn Quade and Councilwoman Becky Erickson are running for the position. Councilwoman Kim Crowder is being challenged by former Councilman Jim Henry.

Councilmen Ed Stern and Dale Rudolph are running unopposed.

Usually unopposed candidates aren’t included in forums, Ahl said.

“We like to include them,” she said. “People might think, ‘I don’t like any of these opinions, I think I’ll file as a write-in.'”

Right now Poulsbo has almost 5,000 registered voters, but it’s not too late to sign up.

The deadline for Washington residents to register a new address by mail or online is Oct. 5. For those not currently registered in the state, the deadline is Oct. 26.

Military and overseas ballots will be mailed out Oct. 1, all others will be sent to the post office and mailed out Oct. 14.

Turnout in the city’s primary was less than a third, at about 31 percent, according to the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office.

County Elections Manager Dolores Gilmore said she hopes turnout for the general election will be higher, about 50 percent.

Gilmore noted there are just two statewide measures to rally voters.

“Sometimes if there is a really hot issue on the ballot that will bring out more people,” she said.

The forum runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 29 at the Poulsbo City Council chambers at 19050 Jensen Way NE.

The forum will be shown on BKAT Sept. 30 at 10 a.m., Oct. 1 at 8 p.m., Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. and Oct. 5 at 1:30 p.m.

Charleen Burnette, public access manager for BKAT, said the forum may be rebroadcast until election day.