Evaluating Political Candidates

With Election Day less than 100 days away, primary season is winding down and the candidates for the general elections (Presidential, Congressional, state, and local) in November have become more apparent. As the choices for November's election are clearer, how does one go about evaluating the candidates? Voting is an important civic responsibility and making an informed choice when voting is essential. Below are some tips and resources to help you research candidates' positions on issues that are of importance to you.

First, decide what issues and qualities are most important to you. You may deem health care, the economy, foreign policy, or something else most important, but it is essential to evaluate your priorities and stances before attempting to evaluate the candidates' positions. Also, think about what personal qualities you think are important – past experience, previous leadership or political positions, personality, etc. Visit the candidates' websites – either their official website if they already hold office or their campaign website – to find out their positions. Candidates generally have an "issues" section where they address major policy topics. To research the Presidential candidates, visit the campaign websites of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. If you do not already know who represents you in Congress, visit the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate websites and search by your zip code or state to find the Members of Congress representing your state and district. These official websites can give you an idea of issues important to each Member and past actions they have taken. Those running for reelection will also have a separate campaign website, which can be found by searching for the Member on the internet. The title of these websites is usually something such as "Eric Cantor for Congress" or "Tammy Baldwin for Senate" while the official website will generally have a title along the lines of "Rep. Eric Cantor," "Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin," or "Max Baucus: U.S. Senator from Montana." Likewise, to find your state representatives, your state's official government page should have a search function to find out who represents you more locally. To find out who is challenging these incumbents, either search the internet or visit a site such as the League of Women Voter's "Vote411" site. Vote411 allows you to enter your address and find your local, state, federal district numbers, which can then be used to search for...