Answers to your questions about The Star’s town hall with Rep. Kevin Yoder
Friday is the last chance to register for a chance to attend The Kansas City Star’s town hall with Congressman Kevin Yoder.
Seating is limited, but residents of Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District can enter here: kansascity.com/YoderTownHall
Readers have submitted a long list of questions about the event, which is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Here are our answers:
Q: Why isn’t the town hall open to anyone who wants to attend?
A: The short answer is we simply don’t have the space to accommodate a crowd that could number in the thousands. The response to our town hall announcement has been overwhelming, and viable options for venues were limited.
The Star editorial board’s goal is to moderate a substantive discussion about a wide range of issues, and capping the size of the crowd also helps ensure that we have a constructive, civil conversation.
We want everyone to have a chance to hear what the congressman has to say, though, so we’ll be streaming the town hall online on The Kansas City Star’s Facebook page.
Q: How can I participate if I don’t attend the town hall?
A: You can watch the town hall at 7 p.m. Tuesday on The Star’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kansascitystar
You can also submit a question online during the event, and we’ll be sure to ask the congressman some questions from Facebook viewers.
Q: How will people be chosen to attend the town hall?
A: We will randomly select participants from the entries we receive online and in the mail.
The town hall is open to residents of the 3rd Congressional District, so we’ll ask participants to bring an ID or a document confirming their home address.
Q: Will registering 23 times online increase my chances of securing a ticket?
A: No. Only one entry per person is permitted.
Q: How will I know if I’ve been selected to attend?
A: This weekend, The Star will notify the participants who are receiving tickets.
Q: Will Yoder or his staff be involved in selecting participants?
A: No. The Star’s editorial board will oversee the random selection and will not share the list of participants with Yoder’s office before the event.
Q: Will Yoder’s staff receive an allotment of tickets to distribute to participants of their choosing?
A: No. The Star’s editorial board will distribute all the tickets for the town hall.
Q: Will Yoder’s office screen questions in advance?
A: No. Questions will come from The Star’s moderators, those in attendance and online viewers. No questions will be shared with the congressman before the event.
Q: Why hasn’t Yoder scheduled additional town halls to meet with more of his constituents?
A: That’s a question that is best directed to the congressman’s office: www.yoder.house.gov
Q: Why is The Star’s editorial board hosting a town hall for Yoder?
A: The editorial board aims to encourage civil public discourse on The Star’s opinion pages and in our conversations with newsmakers. We invite officials and thought leaders of all political stripes to engage by submitting guest columns and by joining the weekly Facebook Live discussion that we broadcast online.
This town hall is just one more way to encourage a community conversation about public policy issues. Stay tuned for future events with The Star’s editorial board.
This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Answers to your questions about The Star’s town hall with Rep. Kevin Yoder."