Voter Resources

Where does a citizen go to find pertinent information on candidates and issues at election time? All too often, the answer is nowhere. For many people soundbite or negative commercials and a little word of mouth from other dubiously informed people are the major determinants in their decision-making.

There are, however, some good resources for those who want to dig a little deeper. I like to find out how candidates stand on a number of issues, and if they have a record on actual bills. I really want to find out if they and their campaigns have a history of telling the truth. I also want to find out who is supporting them financially. The money trail is even more important on ballot propositions, many of which are put up by special interests in the guise of being for the general good. Here is a list of valuable sites. I want to thank Maria Gaston for much of this research.

Project Vote Smart does research on thousands of political candidates and officials. It has a great record for nonpartisanship. It asks the candidates to take its National Political Awareness Test each election on the issues they will probably be dealing with if elected. It is tops on the list. Go to www.vote-smart.org or click the link.

To find out whose money is backing what and whom at the state level, a great site is kept up by the National Institute on Money in State Politics. It's called followthemoney.org. You can find it at www.followthemoney.org


Do you want to find out who is giving you the straight scoop and who is shoveling the bull? An excellent site for this is FactCheck.org. They especially stay on top of major races and controversies around the country and spare no one from their impartial scrutiny. Click on the link or look into it at www.factcheck.org.

For the real policy wonk you can go to Thomas (as in Jefferson), the Library of Congress site dedicated to publishing all the records of Congress, including not only their votes but also their statements on bills being considered. You can access this at //thomas.loc.gov/home.

As the paper of record in the nation's capital, the Washington Post is unequalled in its day to day coverage of what is going on there. It also has links to voluminous resources such as voting and poll data bases. You may need to register with the paper online, but it's free and they do not send advertising to you. See what WaPo Politics has to offer at www.washingtonpost.com/politics.

You can find out what the parties are concentrating on at their own websites, too. The Republicans display their wares and a dim view of the Democrats at the Republican National Committee site, www.gop.org/. The Democratic National Committee has its own site at www.democrats.org/. The minor parties such as the Libertarians and Greens all have their own sites, too.

Happy hunting, and remember at election time, stay informed!