With less than a week before voters in Selma’s Ward 3 decide on who they will vote for in a special city council election, they will get the chance to meet, greet and question the candidates who will appear on the ballot.

Two organizations have planned candidate forums for Tuesday, offering candidates the opportunity to face plenty of voters, but due to the timing of both, there is a very good chance not all of the candidates will be able to appear at each.

The Olde Towne Association’s candidate forum will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Heritage Village, which is at the corner of McLeod Avenue and Mabry Street.

The open-air event will follow the same template used by the association in 2008, when residents heard from candidates running for the Ward 3 council position and council president.

“We had very good success in 2008 and want to follow the same format, where we give each candidate the chance to answer questions and share their views with those in attendance,” Olde Towne Association president Norm Trotter said. “We believe we are going to have beautiful weather and are asking everyone to bring out their lawn chairs and blankets.”

The other organization holding a Ward 3 candidate forum Tuesday is the Alabama New South Coalition, which has scheduled their forum for 6 p.m. at The Gathering Place at 1010 Water Ave.

Chapter president Sam Walker said the organization’s membership and public are encouraged to attend and question the candidates.

“Our members and guests will be given the chance to ask questions of the candidates and then the membership will vote afterwards on which candidate we will endorse,” Walker said.

Walker added the organization will then contact the candidate they plan to endorse on Wednesday and then will help campaign for that candidate ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

“We will print a sample ballot showing which candidate we are supporting and then help canvass the neighborhoods over the coming days,” Walker said.

Although the Olde Towne Association will not offer an endorsement in the race, it is his hope residents from throughout the diverse council ward will attend.

“This forum is not just about the issues that might be important to Old Town,” Trotter said. “Ward 3 includes the Riverview area, the Icehouse area, it’s a large ward and this candidate has to represent all of Ward 3.”

The Times-Journal attempted to contact each of the Ward 3 candidates about their plans to attend one or both of Tuesday’s forums, but was only able to confirm that Tom Headley, Gwen Brown and Pam West planned to attend the Olde Towne Association’s meeting first.

Trotter had said his group had received confirmation from seven of the eight candidates, while Walker said he had heard confirmation from just two of the eight candidates.

Those competing in the Tuesday, May 24 special election are Brown, Greg Bjelke, Garfield Clarke, David Cothran, Headley, Karl Lewis, Sherrette Spicer and West.