There are a myriad of issues in every election. People want to be good citizens but are overwhelmed by issues and candidates. Sorting it all out seems too difficult so many do not vote. Voting is the voice of America, without voting you lose your voice. Times demand we become responsible citizens and cast our ballots. Think of yourself as an employer interviewing a candidate for a top position in your business.
How to Vote Conscientously
On a piece of paper, list the issues which are important to you. In voting we cannot be expected to know something about everything. We all have issues which touch us in a particular way, be it economics, illegal immigration, environment, the war in Iraq or education to name a few. List the issues in order of importance to you.
On a separate piece of paper for each candidate, list their names and pertinent facts, such as experience in what areas of government, length of tenure in each office, reason no longer holding position. This may require research on your computer or at the library.
There are several sites on the internet which will help you with this next step. You can access these sites by doing a search on your chosen search engine under "Candidates Voting Records". This may take more than one sitting, but it is well worth your while. The sites may list the candidates voting records by issue. This is probably the best type of site to do your research.
Check the candidates voting records on your selected key issues. Tally marks will work if you tally only the votes on issues which were the way you wanted the candidate to vote. You can go back in time on several of these sites and determine how the candidate has voted during their tenure in office. Take in to account time frames if you go backward in time. For instance, many people were for going to Iraq when the war was first brought up, but later changed their views as more information came to light. If you were in favor of an issue in 2003, but are no longer in favor, be sure you allow the same room for your candidates to have changed their voting. None of us is infallible, as we well know.
When it comes to state and local propositions, you can also find site which will explain the issues in plain language. Make certain the site is not sponsored by a particular group supporting or opposing the proposition. You want the flavor of the information to be neutral so you can make your decision on what you read and how you feel about the issue. If it feels too complicated and you don’t feel you know enough, you do not need to vote on that issue. Try to understand as much as you can and vote on as many propositions as you can. These propositions can affect your life in big ways.
You are ready to cast your vote on the propositions and candidates because you have done your research. You can vote with a clean conscience because you are voting on issues important to you. When you put this research into it you have a greater understanding of what your Representatives and Senators must do for every vote they cast a vote in a pending bill.