Not being in a presidential election year doesn't warrant opting out of political discourse and the political process.

This is the message Project Vote Smart is sending as part of a debate series that is promoting open discussions on some of the most issues on the nation's agenda today.

The nonpartisan Project Vote Smart, which is housed at the University of Arizona, is hosting a series of debates that gets kicked off next month promoting a public political discourse.

The series, "Off the Record," includes local and national experts who will debate beginning Nov. 11 when the program gets kicked off on the topic of health care.

During each debate, the host will introduce participants and give a brief overview. Each individual will then have 15 minutes to present with an opportunity for a five-minute rebuttal for each debater. 

A question and answer session will follow with the audience, and audience members will have an opportunity to vote on the issues discussed.

Tickets are $40 for each event, or $175 for the season. Seats are limited. Costs will also cover breakfast, which will be served at each event. All events will be held at the Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm St., with breakfast being served at 7 a.m. and debates beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The debates are:

Nov. 11: On the issue of the national health care plan, Eve Shapiro, a UA pediatrics professor and former chair of the Healthy Arizona Initiative, will debate against Steven Knope, author of "Concierge Medicine: A New System to Get the Best Health Care." James Dalen, former UA College of Medicine dean, will moderate the debate. 

Dec. 9: City councilwoman Nina Trasoff, communications consultant of Trasoff and Associates and a former journalist, will debate against Jonathan Paton, an Arizona state senator and president of Paton and Associates Consulting. Both will discuss Arizona's mandate that cities should hold non-partisan elections. Adelaide Elm Kimball, senior adviser and Project Vote Smart's former national board chair, will moderate. 

Jan. 13: Ronald Marx, UA's College of Education dean who is directing a $27 million, five-year evaluation of the state's First Things First early childhood program will debate against Matthew Ladner, the Goldwater Institute's vice president of research and former director of state projects at the Alliance for School Choice. The topic is whether education funding should be contingent upon the willingness of states to meet federal standards. The moderator is Rolly Prager, formerly the international trade analyst for the U.S. government and currently an international trade consultant.

Feb. 10: Bruce Ash, principal at Paul Ash Management Company and founder of the Bank of Tucson, will debate against Jacqueline Sharkey, the Soldwedel Professor of Journalism who directs the UA's School of Journalism. The topic is on recent changes in the newspaper industry, and how those changes affect the public and the moderator is Mark Kimble, former editorial page editor for the Tucson Citizen.

March 10: Retired Tucson attorney Tom Chandler, a former Arizona Board of Regents member, will moderate the debate, which is on the issue of the merit systems. Debaters will be announced at a later date.

April 14: Richard Kimball, president of Project Vote Smart, will moderate a discussion about the Obama Administration. Dennis DeConcini, former U.S. senator and current member of the Arizona Board of Regents, will debate against a debater whose name will be released at a later date.  

May 12: Both the topic of the debate and the debaters will be announced at a later date.

Project Vote Smart and the UA are presenting the debates as a public service.