Become an informed voter – it’s your right

July 30, 2016/ Marcy Phelps / Information sources / 2 comments

It’s that time of year in the U.S. On top of  enduring one of the strangest presidential campaigns that anyone can remember, we have to put up with those mud-slinging political ads that tell us nothing about where the candidates stand on the issues or what they plan to do about them.

So, to help you become an informed voter, here’s a list of my favorite go-to sites for real insights during this election season:

Project Vote Smart, a political research organization, covers candidate biographies, voting records, issue positions, speeches, and campaign finance information. It even includes a Political Courage Test, which “measures each candidate’s willingness to provide citizens with their positions on key issues.”

Brought to you by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, FactCheck.org monitors the “factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.” Look for articles, FAQs, and the Viral Spiral section – a list of their most asked-about false or misleading viral rumors, with brief summaries of the facts and links to the full articles.

OpenSecrets.org describes itself as “the nation’s premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.” Check this site for financial information about the candidates, political parties, lobbyists, and more.

Vote411.org, from the League of Women Voters Education Fund, offers one-stop-shopping for election-related information. Find out about absentee ballots, compare candidate statements, and follow links to state resources.

Get informed – and vote!

Tags politics & elections