Did you wield your vote to the best of your ability this time? There can be a lot of information floating around making it difficult to feel that you have made the right decision. Here’s a simple checklist of good voting habits that produce the best votes. How did you do?
? Did you visit your candidate’s website?
These days, it’s becoming rare to find a candidate who does not maintain a web presence of some kind. The Internet is a good place to find information about candidates and their platforms.
? Did you research candidates’ past service records?
If you shuffle through the newspapers and do some searches online, you can find voting history, scandals and triumphs for many politicians. Their past experience may affect your decision.
? Did you meet your candidate in person?
Candidates will often host events so that the community can meet them.
? Did you find out where to vote ahead of time?
It’s not always obvious and it can be frustrating to scramble to find the polls. Polling locations can be found at the county clerk’s office and online.
? Did you read legislation carefully?
Before you fill out a bubble giving any legislation its yea or nea, make sure you know what exactly it is you’re voting for. Sometimes the wording for new legislation can be very confusing.
? Did you read endorsements?
A number of publications will publish voting guides outlining which candidates they prefer and why. You don’t have to follow their picks, but these can be a great way to find information about candidates and how they relate to the issues.
? Did you watch any debates?
In addition to giving candidates a chance to go head-to-head againsttheir opponents in a civil shouting match, this is also a great opportunity to see your candidate in action.
? Did you attend a caucus?
Parties will sometimes hold a caucus organized at various levels where party members can go and discuss their plan of action as a collective. This can be a great way to learn about your candidate and get to know the political parties personally.
? Did you use your voter guide?
Before elections, registered voters are often sent a voting guide in the mail that gives information on the offices and legislation that will be voted on.
? Did you keep up-to-date on local issues?
Candidates and legislation may not have intentions that seem relevant, but the only way to be sure is to know the place you’re registered to vote in well.