UW-Whitewater College Democrats will be hosting a candidate forum tonight for multiple political offices.

Eight democratic candidates will be speaking at a public forum 7 p.m. in Timmerman Auditorium in Hyland Hall.

Bryant Plank, a junior studying political science, is chair of the College Democrats and hopes for at least 200 people to attend.

“Unfortunately we see a lot of students who don’t keep up with politics very well, but we’re such a large voting block that our voices do matter,” Plank said.

The College Democrats hope for attendance from residents of Whitewater and other parts of Walworth and Jefferson counties.

There will be four candidates speaking at the forum who are running for Wisconsin state governor, as well as candidates running for lieutenant governor, state representative, U.S. senate and state senate.

“This is a really important time for people to learn what’s going on, and this is a great way for a large group of people to meet a lot of candidates at one time,” Bryant said.

Sarah Bregant, a freshman public policy and administration major, is a general member of College Democrats. She thinks one of the reasons students don’t know much about politics is because they don’t know where to get the information.

“I don’t think we take the time to study up,” Bregant said. “This forum is a great way to spend an hour or two and learn about different issues from the candidates themselves.”

Each candidate will have an opportunity to present their plans if they were to be elected. There will also be a 15-20 minute question and answer session at the end.

Bregant said some of the highlighted speakers include Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and a representative for Kathleen Falk, who will be available for questions at the end.

Bregant said she thinks the forum will encourage students to begin educating themselves on politics.

“I’m hoping the forum will motivate people to vote on election day and that it let’s the audience know which candidate aligns with their belief system,” Bregant said. “You don’t have to do any outside research, just go and listen.”