Host a fair candidate forum online. Set up in 10 minutes.
Invite the candidates, pick the questions and the answer time. FairStream runs the speaking order and gives everyone exactly the same time, so your moderator can focus on the conversation. Stream it to YouTube and Facebook, or keep it to the room.
Election Day is November 3, 2026. There is still time: set up a forum today and hold it this week.
How it works
No studio, no streaming software, no stopwatch. Candidates join from a browser with a link.
Set up the forum
Pick a template (candidate forum, town hall, school board or ballot measure), adjust the questions, answer time and rounds.
Invite the candidates
Every candidate gets the same neutral link. No account, no download. They enter their name and agree to the recording notice.
FairStream keeps it fair
The server times every answer, mutes the microphone when time is up and passes the floor to the next speaker. The first speaker rotates with each question.
Ready-made formats for US elections
Every template is a starting point. Change the questions, answer time and number of rounds before you book.
Candidate forum
The classic nonpartisan forum: every candidate answers the same questions with the same time. City council, county commission, state legislature, judicial and sheriff races.
Town hall Q&A
Collect questions from residents ahead of time. The moderator reads them, candidates or officials answer in turn.
School board forum
A short, structured forum for school board candidates, easy for a PTA or parent group to run.
Ballot measure discussion
Supporters and opponents of a measure, bond or levy explain their case, with a rebuttal round and equal time for each side.
Fair by design, not by promise
Equal time, enforced
The answer time is measured on our server, not in anyone's browser. When time is up, the microphone is muted and the next speaker gets the floor. Nobody can get extra time, not even from the organizer.
Rotating first speaker
With each question the first speaker moves, so no candidate always goes first or always gets the last word.
Public rules and time report
Every forum has a public page with the rules, the organizer and the confirmed participants. After the event, a time report shows how much time each speaker was given and actually used.
Nonpartisan tool
FairStream does not endorse anyone, does not target voters and charges every customer the same price, whether you are a civic group, a newsroom, a school or a campaign.
Everything a small team needs
Guests join by link
- No account or app needed for candidates
- Works in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox, on a computer or phone
- Up to 10 people in the forum, including the organizer
Stream and record
- Live to YouTube and Facebook at the same time
- Video recording you can download for 7 days
- Viewers watch on YouTube or Facebook, not in the room
Practice first
- Free 20-minute rehearsal room, no booking, no card
- Walk the candidates through the timer and order
- Settings and invitations stay saved
Plus extras
- Transcript and AI summary, labeled as machine-generated
- Up to 60 minutes
- Extra time slots and booking up to 60 days ahead
Simple pricing, the same for everyone
Free and Plus have the same features, the same audio and video quality and the same timing rules. Plus adds its own extra time slots, a longer event, transcript and AI summary.
FairStream Free
- All forum features: timer, speaking order, invitations, public page
- Live streaming to YouTube and Facebook
- Video recording, available for 7 days
- A limited number of free slots, open 7 days ahead
- One active upcoming booking per account
- A confirmed slot is firmly yours
- Email support
FairStream Plus
- Everything in Free
- Extra time slots of its own: you find a slot even when the free ones are taken
- Book up to 60 days ahead
- Transcript and AI summary, usually within 2 hours
- Priority support
- Replacement slot or refund if FairStream fails
Free rehearsal for everyone
Before you book, open a 20-minute practice room, send the link to the candidates and try the questions, order and timer together. Not streamed or recorded. No slot and no card needed.
Prices in US dollars, paid by card on the web. In the iPhone app, Plus is paid through the App Store at the App Store price. Forums can start any day between 8:00 AM Eastern and 9:00 PM Pacific; the app shows every slot in your own time zone. Cancel 48 hours or more before the start for a full refund (App Store purchases: see the refund terms).
Who runs forums with FairStream
Civic and voter education groups
Nonpartisan candidate forums in the tradition of local League of Women Voters chapters: same questions, same time, published rules.
Local newsrooms
A small paper or community radio station can host a forum and stream it on its own YouTube or Facebook page.
PTAs, schools and libraries
School board and ballot measure forums that parents can watch from home.
Candidates and community groups
Anyone can invite opponents to a fair exchange. The rules and the organizer are public, and every invited candidate gets the same time.
Quick answers
Do we need a moderator?
Not for the timing. FairStream keeps the order and the time automatically. Most organizers still have a human moderator who welcomes people, reads the questions and keeps the tone civil. See the moderator guide.
Can a candidate get more time?
No. The answer time is the same for everyone and is enforced by the server. The organizer can change the rules only for the whole forum, and the change is visible to all.
Is it legal to record the candidates?
Every participant sees a notice and must agree to the streaming and recording before entering. Some states require consent from everyone on a recording, and this notice covers participants. Tell your live audience too.
Can a campaign use FairStream?
Yes, on the same terms and at the same price as everyone else. Campaigns are responsible for their own campaign finance reporting and disclaimers.
Ready to host a fair forum before November 3?
Setup takes about 10 minutes. Send one link to all the candidates.
Create a free forumQuestions? support@fairstream.live