Douglas County voters will have their first opportunity to meet candidates for county offices at a meet-and-greet event Thursday at the Douglas County Courthouse, 11th and Massachusetts streets.

The event gets under way at 7 p.m. in the County Commission chambers on the second floor.

It is the first of three such events before the Aug. 5 primary election planned by a nonpartisan group called the Voter Education Coalition.

County Commission candidates will introduce themselves to voters and distribute campaign materials, but there will be no formal question-and-answer session. A formal public forum with County Commission candidates will take place at 7 p.m. July 29 at the Dole Institute of Politics on Kansas University’s West Campus.

In addition to the County Commission candidates, current county officeholders who are running unopposed will be at Thursday’s event.