There is now one week to Election Day in most of the country and it is the responsibility of every citizen to educate themselves on the candidates and issues. The most valuable resource for making an informed decision is the League of Women Voters.
Their Democracy Net provides a valuable link to your candidates and their positions. Enter your zip code and read the candidates answers to the League’s questionnaire.
Read all the responses. See if you can decipher which of the candidates actually answered the questions themselves and who had their staff fill in the blanks. Who answers in a direct manner and who dodges and obfuscates. For example, I couldn’t believe how much muck I had to wade through to discover my senator's position on the diversion of Great Lakes water and I’m still not sure I know!
Paul,
I'm voting via absentee ballot for the first time this year (I'm out of town next week).
So I got a paper copy of the LWV guide.
You are correct about having to wade through the muck.
The most helpful question? It was the one asked of all the University Regent/Governor/Trustee candidates:
"What qualifies you to be a member of this governing board?"
The candidate with the clearest, most sensible answer got my vote.
I just wish they had asked ALL candidates for ALL offices that question.
Dean,
Thank you for that League of Women's Voters hot link. You provided a nice service to us all.
Dean,
"Vote early and often," surely sounds the drumbeat of Democrats in every election. Parris
Glendenning won the governorship of MD by getting 1,800 more votes in one single precinct than there were registered voters! Don't count Kathleen Kennedy Townsend out of this one. If Democrats successfully stole one governor's race they will certainly do so given one opportunity to do so.