Thirty Halifax County students will have an opportunity next month to put their own questions directly to candidates seeking offices ranging from county sheriff to the U.S. Senate.
The Halifax County Junior County Commissioners will host a Youth-Led Candidates Forum on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. at the 4-H Rural Life Center/Allen Grove Rosenwald School, located at 13763 NC Highway 903 in Halifax.
Unlike a traditional candidate forum in which students simply attend or observe, the Junior County Commissioners are expected to run the event from beginning to end.
The students will serve as moderators, welcome attendees, offer the invocation, lead the Pledge of Allegiance, introduce candidates, ask questions, keep time and provide closing remarks, according to Halifax County Commissioner Gary Redding.
Redding, who proposed the Junior County Commissioners program to the Halifax County Board of Commissioners, said creating opportunities for students to experience local government outside of a classroom was one of the goals behind the program.
“A youth-led candidates forum was one of those ideas,” Redding told the Roanoke Valley Reporter. “It gives students an opportunity to research how candidate forums are organized and moderated, identify issues that matter to them, develop thoughtful questions for candidates, and take an active role in the civic process.”
“Most importantly, it gives young people a voice in a process in which they are often left out,” he added.
Students to Develop Questions
The students will research local issues and determine the topics they believe are important to young people and the broader Halifax County community.
Redding said those topics could include education, recreation, jobs, healthcare, entertainment and opportunities for young people.
The Junior County Commissioners will then use their research to develop questions intended to allow candidates to explain their positions and priorities.
Final questions will be reviewed to ensure candidates are treated consistently and the forum remains nonpartisan, Redding said.
Candidates will be allowed opening and closing statements and will receive equal time to answer each question. Because of time constraints, the format will not include rebuttals or candidate-to-candidate questions or responses.
Eight Races Included
Organizers used the Halifax County sample ballot to determine which races and candidates would be invited.
Invitations were sent Sept. 24 to candidates in eight races:
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House District 1
- N.C. Senate District 2
- N.C. House District 27
- District Attorney District 7
- Halifax County Board of Commissioners At-Large
- Halifax County Clerk of Superior Court
- Halifax County Sheriff
Redding said all candidates in the selected races are being given an equal opportunity to participate.
A final list of participating candidates will be released after responses to the invitations are received.
30 Students Represent County Schools
The 2026-27 Halifax County Junior County Commissioners class includes 30 students representing public, charter and private schools and early colleges throughout the county.
Students in the program attend Roanoke Rapids Early College, Northwest Collegiate and Technical Academy, Roanoke Valley Early College, Victory Christian Academy, Halifax County Early College, Roanoke Rapids High School, Southeast Collegiate Prep Academy and Weldon Middle-High School.
Students entered the program through school nominations and an application process. Some were nominated by their schools, while others attended one of two interest meetings before applying.
The program was recognized during the 2026 North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Conference as a recipient of a Civic Excellence in Innovation Award.
Building on Last Year’s Forum
This will not be the Junior County Commissioners’ first attempt at putting candidates before young residents.
The group conducted its first candidates forum last year.
Redding described that event as a success and said organizers hope to build upon it this year.
The broader objective extends beyond a single election, he said.
“We want students to see government firsthand, interact with local leaders, understand how decisions are made, develop leadership skills, and recognize that civic participation does not have to begin when they are old enough to vote,” Redding said.
Organizers are also notifying local schools and community organizations in hopes of drawing young people who are not members of the Junior County Commissioners program.
The Oct. 24 forum will be open to the public. Organizers are also working on a livestream option for residents who cannot attend in person.
