What is the most boring and painful part of every election season? What’s the most tedious task that you take upon yourself with every ballot, just to be a responsible citizen of a functioning democracy?

I’ll tell you what it is. It’s learning about the state ballot measures. First you have to cut through the hype to figure out what it is each proposition wants to accomplish. Then you have to try to school yourself at least a little bit on the topic at hand, to at least get some sense of whether what they want to accomplish is good or bad, according to your notions of “good” and “bad.” It’s a chore.

But not this year. This year you and your Lost Coast Outpost and our friends at CalMatters are all gonna get together and figure this stuff out together – live, in person and in communion – over drinks!

I’m calling it “BEER AND BALLOT MEASURES,” though the CalMatters people, who are actually doing the heavy lifting on this thing, have not yet approved that language.

Save the date: This is happening on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at Old Town’s lovely North of Fourth bar (207 Third Street, Eureka).

What’s gonna happen at this shindig? Well, CalMatters is going to roll into town next week with tons of study material. At 6 p.m., after we’ve all settled in with our libations, they’ll be handing out non-partisan info on all 10 of the measures on the Nov. 5 ballot. There’ll be Q&A and discussion on each of them, led by people who have done the hard lifting to figure out what they’re all about.

And then more beer! And more discussion! Also, there are rumors that there will be pizza. Stay tuned.

If you are reading this and are 21 years of age or older, you are invited! All you have to do is present yourself at the venue at the proper time, and to come with a curious mind and some funds for your beer.

This is going to be fun as hell, and I hope to see you there. There should be more drinking-and-thinking type of events in the world.

ONCE MORE: Thursday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m., at North of Fourth. Be there!