How to Vote Intelligently in the United States

When election time arrives in the United States there are many registered voters who never make it to the polls or submit an absentee ballot. Voting should be considered both a right and a responsibility in a democratic society and yet many Americans let election day slide by without casting a ballot. One reason often cited for failing to vote is a lack of understanding of the issues, but a little preparation well ahead of the election can allow even the most over-booked citizen to cast their ballot intelligently.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Any or all of: internet access, radio, television, newspaper subscription

1. Make some time in your daily routine to incorporate news. While it may be impractical to read a newspaper each morning while you are rushing to get yourself and your family off to work and school, you could listen to a news radio station instead of music on your way to work, spend a break at work reading a section of the paper, or turn your television to the news for a half hour in the evening. By taking the time to tune into what is going on in the world even if it is only for 30 minutes a day, you will have some knowledge of candidates and issues far ahead of election day.
2. Tune into a national news source such as a major paper, news magazine, television program, or radio network. A national news source will give you a broader understanding of current political issues, as well as a global perspective. Make sure that it is a source that you enjoy reading or listening to, so that it is a pleasant part of your routine rather than a chore. That being said, take the time as often as possible to listen to views that sit outside of your comfort zone; you may not agree with opposing points of view but they may offer you a perspective that you hadn’t consider before.
3. Tap into local news sources so that you can get a grasp of local politics or a different understanding of how national issues may affect local interests. Since many of us do not have the time read or watch both national and local news sources on a daily basis, try alternating your sources throughout the week.
4. Talk to your friends about issues that are of particular interest to you. You may find that your friends can offer you perspectives on political issues that are different from your own or that they can shed new light on how a particular candidate or ballot measure may have local repercussions.
5. Review the candidates and propositions on the ballot a few weeks before the election. At this point you will probably have developed strong feelings about how you would like to vote on a number of candidates and propositions. Review any remaining ballot selections that you know less about and do some research; a few hours worth of work scanning newspapers for information about the measures or candidates can let you know whether you have an opinion about them strong enough to cast a vote one way or another.

Tips & Warnings

• Many major news sources such as radio, television and newspapers have internet versions that you can subscribe to and have the daily headlines emailed to you.