Take part in our election panel

What do Rhode Islanders think about the 2020 presidential election?

To find out, you can ask a simple question. President Trump? Warren or Biden or Sanders or Buttigieg, or some other Democratic hopeful? Or a third-party candidate?

Or you can dig deeper, and find out what voters really have on their minds. What are the issues that matter? What are Rhode Islanders looking for in a president? What do we make of important events along the road to the election?

That kind of reflection is what we’re looking for as we assemble a panel to which we’ll repeatedly return — asking for reactions, thoughts and concerns — as the 2020 campaign progresses.

And we’re looking for members of that panel — which is where you may come in.

If you’re interested in taking part, send us an email at editors@providencejournal.com. Put ELECTION PANEL in the subject line.

And, to help us assemble a group that reflects all of Rhode Island, please answer these questions:

What’s your name? Age? Hometown?

What’s your occupation? Marital status? How do you identify ethnically, if you do?

What’s your political affiliation? Who are you supporting in 2020, if you’re leaning toward a candidate?

Why do you want to take part in this project?

And finally, what else would you like us to know?

Some of these questions may seem intrusive. But we’re trying to build a panel that — to the best of our ability, within the limits of a finite number of panelists — reflects Rhode Island in as many as possible of its rich variations.

We’ve opened our doors in a lot of ways in the last several months, literally and figuratively, from tours of our printing plant to community forums and a dinner with Food Editor Gail Ciampa. But this may be the most important way of all: bringing our readers’ voices into our political coverage in a meaningful way.

We may ask panelists here for a roundtable discussion, or talk to them in their homes, or ask for reactions over the phone or via email. However we encounter them, we’re hoping that the conversations will shed light, rather than heat, on the events leading up to Election Day.

Hearing from our panelists over several months will help readers get to know them, and maybe start to see the world, just a little bit, through their eyes. Our readers may even come to respect someone whose views aren’t the same as their own.

Regardless of who is elected next November, wouldn’t that be a happy ending?

Next Book Club pick

The Providence Journal Book Club w/Reading with Robin wrapped up our first book last week, with a final discussion on Tuesday with Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of this month’s pick, “The Murder List.” Along the way we hosted Ryan in the Facebook group for an Ask Me Anything session, which had about 30 comments of back-and-forth between the author and book club members. We had 10 questions submitted through What and Why R.I. by members for our final discussion, and more than 150 people have watched the Facebook Live, which we’ve also turned into a podcast for easy consumption.

And now we’re excited to announce our December pick — “Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts,” by Kate Racculia. If you like puzzles, humor, mysteries and the city of Boston, you’ll enjoy this pick. We’re still nailing down the details on our final discussion, but it will take place after Christmas. And Racculia is already in the Facebook group, so make sure to stop in and say hi, ask her questions and let her know what you think!

You can join the book club at facebook.com/groups/providencejournalbookclub. Just make sure you enter your email so we can make sure you’re a subscriber.

Alan Rosenberg is The Journal’s executive editor.

(401) 277-7409 — arosenberg@ providencejournal.com On Twitter: @AlanRosenbergPJ