Hard to imagine but November&8217;s election is just around the corner. Certainly the calendar tells us this is true but perhaps the clearest indicator that an election nears is the litany of meaningless political ads we see on local television stations.

Unfortunately, so many of the political ads we endure this time of year simply give a blurred view of a candidate and his or her opponent; they do little to help us make an informed decision at the ballot box.

Aside from sitting down with each candidate in your own living room, asking each the questions important to you, voters in our state and nation have a difficult job of educating themselves about the coming election.

Consider three of the races for which we will cast ballots this November: Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General and one begins to realize just how important an educated voter is to the future of our state.

Thankfully, Leadership Alabama, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, Alabama Public Television and the Alabama Press Association will sponsor a candidate debate on Monday, Oct. 30, at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery. The event, Focus on Our Future, will be broadcast live on Alabama Public Television beginning at 7 p.m. A special For The Record will air at 6:30 p.m., immediately preceding the start of the debates.

The program will include a one-hour debate between the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial nominees, followed by two 30-minute debates for nominees in the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general. The two-hour live program will be followed by a commentary segment featuring reviews and comments from both parties. The debates will be moderated by former Gov. Albert Brewer; will also be broadcast on Alabama Public Radio and Webcast over the Internet.

General questions will also be developed by the Public Affairs Research Council in addition to questions submitted by the public.

To submit your questions, simply email them to mailto:jmcdaniel@leadershipal.org or mail them to Leadership Alabama, P.O. Box 631, Montgomery, AL 36101-0631. Deadline for submissions is Monday, Oct. 16.

So, even if you aren&8217;t planning to sit down personally with each candidate

for major statewide offices this election season, you can still get your questions answered