One thing that has become clear in the past three months is that debates matter.

President Joe Biden did so poorly in his June presidential debate, appearing frail and unable to coherently explain policies, that Democrats, already concerned that he could not effectively make his case to voters, persuaded him to leave the race.

There has been no similar groundswell of Republicans calling for former President Donald Trump to do the same after his disastrous performance last week when Vice President Kamala Harris soundly defeated him at a debate on ABC.

Trump repeatedly failed to offer a coherent explanation of his policies and instead angrily responded to Harris’ jabs with lies and even racist responses. Harris’ performance was strong enough to draw praise from Republican political guru Karl Rove.

Whether the debate will matter at the ballot box remains to be seen.

What we do now know is that presidential rallies, television ads and a campaign’s social media campaign have an important place in elections. But they do not tell the complete story.

Debates and candidate interviews conducted by informed questioners are also needed to give voters a clear picture of who they are voting for.

There is no opportunity to question a claim made in a television commercial or a postcard mailed to voters’ homes or ask them for more details on a policy they support.

As former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson once said, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.

We do not suggest that candidates be tested physically, but they should be subject to thorough vetting—just like anyone else applying for a job.

This is not only true in national races.

Voters in Nassau County will also decide on two congressional races, which could determine not only who represents them but which party controls the House of Representatives.

They will also decide on races to determine who will represent them in the state Senate and Assembly.

Nassau County voters know something about electing poorly vetted candidates. They are the ones who elected George Santos to New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

A short time after Santos was elected, the world learned that he had lied about his professional background, educational history, religion and property ownership, among other things.

This was followed by a 13-count federal indictment in which Santos was charged with embezzling contributions from supporters, fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits and lying on campaign disclosures. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft in August.

Santos was also expelled from Congress in December, leaving 3rd Congressional District residents without representation until Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election for his old seat. Suozzi now faces former Republican Assembly Member Mike LiPetri in November.

During the 2022 congressional campaign, Santos ducked sit-downs with both Blank Slate Media and Newsday, which employ journalists who get paid to stay informed about the issues.

He was not alone.

Candidates for every level of government have begun ducking debates, forums hosted by organizations like the League of Women Voters and newspapers like ours.

We invite candidates for one-hour interviews via Zoom, which will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube for all to view. Stories are also published in our newspapers. The date and time are left up to the candidates.

The interview includes questions not shared with candidates in advance. Sometimes follow-up questions are asked to prove a claim or for greater detail.

There is a reason the founding fathers made freedom of the press part of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – to keep elected officials accountable and honest.

We understand why candidates may prefer to present themselves with carefully crafted commercials put together by paid campaign professionals and rallies where they are not questioned.

But as Santos’ election and the debates between Trump and Biden and Trump and Harris show, that is not in the best interest of voters.

When considering a candidate who ducks debates and interviews, voters should ask – what are they hiding?