State Legislature candidates will speak to the Ames community at a forum Monday night.

Candidates from state house districts 10, 45 and 46 were invited to the forum, including Tracy Runkel, D-Story City, and Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada, from District 10; Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, Randy Woodbury, R-Ames, and Jerry Litzel, of Ames, from District 45; and Lisa Heddens, D-Ames, and Eric Cooper, Libertarian of Ames, for District 46.

The forum will be hosted by the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of Ames.

The candidates will each have a minute and a half to introduce themselves. A panel will then ask the candidates questions, but the candidates are not allowed time for rebuttals, said Kori Heuss, membership and program manager for the Ames Chamber of Commerce.

During the second half of the forum, people in the audience can ask the candidates questions about where they stand on issues, Heuss said. The answers are timed because the forum is only scheduled to last for two hours, she said.

“Every candidate answers every question,” Heuss said. “But this is not a debate.”

Forums are very important to the public, she said.

“The main reason to have a forum is so the public knows what the candidates stand for and then allow them to make a judgment on the candidates,” said Ruth Jones of the League of Women Voters of Ames.

Everyone has different issues that are important to them, and at the forum, voters can learn where the candidates stand, Heuss said.

“The community needs to feel like they know all the candidates to make informed decisions,” Heuss said.

A voter must be confident in whom they’re voting for, she said.

The League of Women Voters and the Ames Chamber of Commerce play host to forums like this every year to help inform the public before they vote.

“One of our missions is to educate the public on public policy issues. This is a way to educate the public so when they vote, they will be more knowledgeable,” Jones said.

Heuss said that she expects the forum to be fairly well-attended because it gives people a chance to get to know the candidates running for the state Legislature.

The forum will be broadcast live on Channel 12 so people can watch it at home, Heuss said. People can also call in with their questions, and the phone number to do so will be given on the screen at that time, she said. The forum will also be rebroadcast later, for people who miss the live version.

The forum to meet state candidates will take place on Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the council chambers of Ames City Hall, 515 Clark Ave.