With Santa Clara County mail-in ballots for the Nov. 6 election scheduled to go out in two weeks, Palo Alto school and civic groups are now hosting a slew of candidate forums and educational events for voters.

On the ballot this year are elections of three Palo Alto City Council members, two Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education members, Measure E (increase of Palo Alto's hotel tax), Measure F (health care costs regulation), Measure Y (school board term limits) and Measure Z (school-district bond issue).

In addition, forums are planned for the state ballot measures and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's race.

Next Wednesday, Oct. 3, the Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Online are mounting a City Council candidates debate at the Little Theatre at Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. The event will run from 7:30-9 p.m. Co-sponsors are American Association of University Women, Avenidas, Project Safety Net and Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce.

Additional events are scheduled as follows:

CITY COUNCIL AND MEASURE F

Palo Alto Neighborhoods is hosting a City Council candidates forum moderated by former City Councilwoman LaDoris Cordell on Thursday, Oct. 4, 7-9 p.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto. A PAN questionnaire of the candidates is posted at Palo Alto Neighborhoods.

Representatives of both sides of Measure F will square off on Sunday, Oct. 7, 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Harmony Hall, 1985 Louis Road, Palo Alto. The church and the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto are the event co-sponsors.

The League of Women Voters of Palo Alto will convene for a City Council candidates forum on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 7-8:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 1985 Louis Road, Palo Alto. The event will be co-sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, Palo Alto Branch of AAUW and Congregation Beth Am.

SCHOOL BOARD

On Friday, Oct. 5, 7-9 p.m., the Palo Alto Chinese Parents Club and the nonprofit Asian Americans for Community Involvement will host a forum for Palo Alto school board candidates at the Channing House Auditorium, 850 Webster St., Palo Alto. Palo Alto City Councilwoman Lydia Kou will moderate the event. For those who do not live in Channing House, an RSVP is requested (go to eventbrite.com). Questions for the candidates can be submitted in advance to https://goo.gl/forms/jzgWmGI9a2IRwiRS2. Translation assistance will be available.

The Palo Alto Council of PTAs will host Board of Education candidate forums for specific populations of the district:

• An elementary education event will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 6:45-8:45 p.m. at 25 Churchill Ave., Palo Alto.

• A "Special Education/Educational Equity and Access" forum, co-sponsored with Parent Advocates for Student Success (PASS), will be held on Sunday, Oct. 14, 4-6 p.m. at Greene Middle School, 750 N. California Ave., Palo Alto.

• And a secondary-education forum will be hosted on Saturday, Oct. 20, 4-6 p.m. at JLS Middle School, 480 E. Meadow Drive, Palo Alto.

BALLOT MEASURES

Arguments for and against November ballot measures will be presented several times in October by volunteers with the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto:

• Friday, Oct. 5, at 2 p.m. at Avenidas at Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto

• Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 11:30 a.m., at Woman's Club of Palo Alto, 475 Homer Ave., Palo Alto

• Thursday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., Channing House, 850 Webster St., Palo Alto

• Sunday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m., at Congregation Beth Am, Beit Kehillah, 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills

• Saturday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m., Palo Alto Downtown Library, 270 Forest Ave., Palo Alto.

The "Pros and Cons" events are co-sponsored by Avenidas, Woman's Club of Palo Alto, Channing House, Congregation Beth Am, Palo Alto Branch of AAUW, Palo Alto City Library & ACLU MidPeninsula Chapter.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY

The Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County will host a debate between the two candidates for Santa Clara County Sheriff -- Sheriff Laurie Smith and challenger John Hirokawa -- on Monday, Oct. 8, 7-8:30 p.m. in Cupertino Community Hall, 10350 Torre Ave., Cupertino.

Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network will host a candidates forum between Smith and Hirokawa on Thursday, Oct. 18, 6-8 p.m. at Council Chambers at Mountain View City Hall, 500 Castro St., Mountain View.

The South Bay Islamic Association, Council on American-Islamic Relations' San Francisco Bay Area office and Silicon Valley chapter of the NAACP will host a forum with Smith and Hirokawa on Friday, Oct. 19, 8:15-9:30 p.m., at SBIA's office, 2345 Harris Way, San Jose.

REGIONAL

The League of Women Voters of Southwest Santa Clara County will host a forum with two candidates for California's 18th Congressional District -- incumbent Anna Eshoo and challenger Christine Russell -- on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 7-8 p.m. at the Roosevelt Room at Campbell Community Center, 1 W. Campbell Ave., Campbell.

ON VIDEO

Recordings of League of Women Voters election-education events in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties are available on the Midpeninsula Media Center website.

The events on Palo Alto and Santa Clara County races include:

- PAUSD Candidate Forum - 9/27 - produced by League of Women Voters

- Palo Alto City Council Candidates Forum (coming Oct. 11)

- Palo Alto Measure E (hotel tax) - recorded Pro & Con arguments

- Palo Alto Measure F (health care bills) recorded Pro & Con arguments

- Santa Clara County Measure A (sales tax) recorded Pro & Con arguments

- Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Candidate Forum (coming Oct. 10)

The Midpeninsula Media Center will also have analysis of election results from throughout the Midpeninsula and south bay starting at 8 p.m. on the regional cable channel 27.

Find more coverage on Palo Alto races and measures, including videos of voter-education events here.