But on Oct. 26, the candidates had a change of scenery when they stepped out of offices, community centers and other public meeting places, into Sunnyvale resident Geoff Ainscow's living room.

"It's slightly different for the candidates being in a living room instead of an auditorium, and it gives the people a chance to be closer to the candidates," Ainscow said.

Ainscow started inviting candidates to his home in during the 2003 council race. It was so well received by the candidates and neighbors that he brought it back for this year's race.

"I intended to meet the candidates before I voted because reading their campaign literature only gives you a little information," Ainscow said. "My original plan was to just get answers to some questions and send them to the neighborhood, but when I got the list of questions back, I thought it would be good to get the candidates all together."

Ainscow thought he'd be able to organize the candidates because he had met some of them through his involvement with the board of directors for the Sunnyvale Tennis Club.

On Oct. 26, all seven candidates came to Ainscow's home. Each one was given 15 minutes to state their case. In time blocks for each seat race, the candidates gave four-minute speeches and then took questions from the collected residents.

Pete Richards--who is running against Darab Ghaffary and Christopher Moylan for Seat 2--said the meeting gave candidates a chance to relax a bit and really speak face-to-face with their constituents. Although Richards ran for office in 2003, he said he was unable to attend Ainscow's first meeting and said he wished he had.

"I think [the meeting] helped us connect with the ordinary people, the people who aren't always at city council meetings," Richards said.

While many say local government offices are the closest citizens can get to their leaders, Ainscow said he is proud that he made the next step.

"We know how hard it is to build a democracy--we're trying to do it in Iraq--but we've got one here, and it's up to everyone to participate. If we don't it will die, and I don't want to see American democracy die," Ainscow said.