Forum sponsors (TRA) shall issue invitations to the forum in a fair and evenhanded manner where there is documentary evidence of the time and manner of such invitation.
A forum invitation shall include the exact time and place of the forum and all other relevant information. It also shall include a full explanation of the format and a copy of the ground rules.
Accepting a forum invitation. Each invited candidate should be given at least two weeks after receipt of the invitation to decide whether he or she will attend.
Declining a forum invitation. If a candidate does not accept the invitation to the forum, that candidate has a responsibility to notify the TRA sponsor in a timely manner and to provide an explanation in writing.
The TRA shall include the candidate’s full statement with reasons for declining the invitation when distributing releases to the news media announcing forum participants. If a candidate declines a forum invitation, but then changes his or her mind before the forum is held, the sponsoring component must determine whether the candidate should be included.
If several candidates have been invited to a forum and enough candidates accept the invitation to hold the forum, the forum sponsor shall allow candidates who declined the invitation to submit a short statement of up to 50 words explaining why they are not participating. If such a statement is submitted by the candidate and is received by the forum sponsor at least three days before the forum, the moderator shall publicly read this statement at the beginning of the forum program.
Communication. Any communication from the TRA about the forum relevant to the public, news media, or the candidates shall be provided to all the candidates simultaneously.
Early and equal access. Each candidate, or appointed representatives of each candidate, shall have supervised access to the forum site and stage area between 30 and 60 minutes before the forum begins.
Campaign materials. Candidates participating in the forum are allowed to bring enough copies of one piece of campaign material for the anticipated audience. These materials will be available on a table in the back of the room for audience members to pick up on their own.
Candidates are not allowed to bring into the room any other election campaign materials, such as banners, signs, posters, hats, balloons, sample ballots, etc.
Assistance from others. The candidate shall not have access to any person during the forum other than the moderator and the questioners, and, in the case of an emergency, a member of the production crew, sponsor, or security staff.
Audience composition. To ensure that there is not an unfair imbalance of audience members, the sponsoring component of the forum will allow up to six campaign workers or staff members in the room where the forum is held. In addition, candidates may bring spouses, children, siblings, and parents.
Audience reaction. The live audience will be instructed not to applaud or make noise during the forum or do anything visible or audible to express support or opposition to any candidate during the forum.
Candidate introductions. The moderator will introduce candidates. The introduction will include: (a) the candidate’s name, as provided by the candidate; (b) the candidate’s current public office title (if applicable), former public office title (if not currently a public official) and/or a fair description of his or her current occupation; and (c) the candidate’s political party affiliation (if the forum involves candidates of more than one party). Candidates should be introduced in surname alphabetical order.
Candidate titles. After the introductions, candidates will be referred to as “Mr.” and “Ms.” Married women may request to be referred to as “Mrs.”
Order of statements. The order of opening and closing statements shall be determined by a coin toss before the forum program. The winner of the toss determines whether he or she will open first. Candidates who open first will close second. Candidates who open second, close first. When there are multiple candidates, the order of opening and closing statements shall be determined by drawing lots (1, 2, 3, etc.) before the forum program. The order for closing statements shall be the reverse of the opening statements.
Time limits. Time limits on statements, answers, rebuttals, and responses will be monitored and enforced. See the Forum Information Sheet for details.
Timekeeping. The timekeeper shall be someone other than the moderator or a questioner. In statements or answers that are two minutes or more, there will be three signals given to candidates: The first when there are 20 seconds left; the second when there are 10 seconds left; and the third, a “stop” signal, when the time has run out. In statements or answers that are less than two minutes, there will be two signals given to candidates: The first when there are 10 seconds left; the second, a “stop” signal, when the time has run out. If necessary, the timekeeper shall ring a bell two to three seconds after the final “stop” signal is given, and the moderator shall immediately interrupt the candidate and discontinue the statement or answer.
Rule enforcement. The moderator shall enforce all rules and time limits. The moderator may interrupt any participant to enforce the rules and format requirements. The moderator may also take as much time as is needed to explain that a rule has been violated and that the rule was agreed to in advance by all participants.
Disruptive behavior. If a candidate demonstrates unreasonably disruptive behavior and repeatedly violates the rules, the moderator shall have the right to stop the program, turn off the candidate’s microphone, and ask the candidate to leave the forum. If a candidate is asked to leave the forum, the remaining candidate or candidates shall be allowed to continue to the end of the program. If a candidate is asked to leave the forum, the moderator shall have the right to allow the candidate to reenter. If any member of the live audience or any person in the forum facility, invited or not, demonstrates unreasonably disruptive behavior, the moderator shall have the right to stop the program and to ask security to remove the person or persons from the forum room or facility.
Adherence to subject matter. The moderator may interrupt any candidate if he believes the candidate is straying from the subject matter of a question.
Candidate interruptions. The candidates shall not be allowed to interrupt one another. It is the moderator’s responsibility to enforce this rule.
Audience questions. Each audience question shall relate to one subject only and shall be clearly stated. If a questioner violates this rule, the moderator may restate the question.
Restating questions. The moderator may restate any question that is unclear.
Question disclosure. In advance of the forum, neither the moderator nor any TRA member or forum staff member shall disclose the topic or substance of any question they intend to ask during the forum to any candidate or representative of any candidate’s campaign, or to any person who may communicate the information to a candidate or representative of a candidate’s campaign, unless the same information is disclosed at the same time to all of the candidates who are expected to participate in the forum. The moderator shall disclose to the forum audience which questions were made known to the candidates in advance.
Moderator pre-forum statements. Forum moderators, after their selection, shall make no public statements indicating support or nonsupport, preference or disrespect, for any candidate expected to participate in the forum.
Closing statements and rebuttals. Closing statements made by candidates shall not include charges or attacks against another candidate that have not been previously raised during the forum. If a candidate violates this rule and the attacked candidate has already completed his or her closing statement, the moderator may offer the attacked candidate the right to make a short rebuttal (30 seconds or less), if time permits, at the end of the closing statement segment.
Accommodating physical limitations. The set, format, and staging of the forum shall reasonably accommodate the physical limitations of all participating candidates.
No indication of preference. The set, format, and staging of the forum shall in no way show any preference, opposition, or disrespect to any of the candidates.
Cameras. Except for professional photographers or camera crews provided by the forum sponsor, no one in the forum room shall be allowed to use flash cameras or motor-driven cameras during the forum program.
No distractions. Forum sponsors shall make every effort to prohibit anything that may be a distraction to the candidates participating in the forum. This includes adjusting lighting, fixing microphones, opening and closing doors, moving camera equipment and furniture, etc.
Media access. Forum sponsors shall make every effort to accommodate members of the news media but in a way that does not disrupt the program or distract the candidates. To accomplish this, an area for the news media should be assigned to allow for arrival and departure photographs of the candidates and post-forum interviews.
Candidate positions. Each candidate is to remain in the chair where he or she is seated.
Water. A small bottle of water will be provided on the table or nearby.
Candidate materials. Candidates are allowed to bring their own writing instrument and may write notes for their own use throughout the forum program. They may also bring in a notebook or a folder of notes. Candidates are not allowed to use charts, graphs, signs, or other audio or visual material.
Medium of communication. English and/or Tagalog.
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