The Why do I volunteer on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Committee (CEC)? The short answer is that a former Muni League Board member recommended it.

The longer answer is that the CEC is one of my most rewarding (and challenging) volunteer experiences. Many organizations I have volunteered with just need a warm body – they haven’t used my skills or interests and don’t care whether I show up. The Muni League really needs YOU: They recruit, screen and interview volunteers, creating a diverse group of people with different opinions, backgrounds and perspectives to shape candidate ratings.

Some of the rewards:

1. Your opinion matters and your voice is heard.
2. You make an important contribution to civic life by helping voters assess candidates’ qualifications for office.
3. You meet people you might not otherwise meet and come to appreciate the breadth and diversity of political opinion and life experience.
4. You avoid skin cancer (see Challenge # 2 below).
5. The other volunteer committee members are intelligent and offer thought-provoking opinions.
    

Some of the challenges:

1. The other volunteers are intelligent and offer thought-provoking opinions, which can stretch you out of your comfort zone.
2. You volunteer many of your August evenings, when your friends and family are outside enjoying the sun and warm weather.
3. You must be fair and unbiased in all of your candidate ratings and discussions, challenging your personal political beliefs.

My friends can’t believe that I happily give up Monday through Thursday evenings (5–9 p.m.) in August to interview candidates. I admit that some days are happier than others. When the Mariners are in town and the evening temperature is a balmy 75 degrees, I’ll be honest: It’s a challenge.

But, it is more than worth it.

I hope you consider volunteering for a committee next year or telling someone you know about the rewards. We need a greater diversity of voices at the table – ethnic and cultural diversity, age, life experience, political beliefs – and the list goes on.

Please help continue to bring the most unbiased candidate ratings to King County voters.

Annette de Soto served as vice-chair of the Central CEC committee. She is Executive Director of the nonprofit agency Friends of the Children, the only program in the nation connecting vulnerable young children with paid, professional mentors from kindergarten through high school.

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