By Jesse DeHart, WeVote Intern

Curious about the individuals who represent your interests and advocate for laws on your behalf? Absorbing all the information about them can be overwhelming, especially when trying to make an informed decision on your ballot.

Even when there are only a handful of candidates, there is a wealth of information to sift through. For example, there are endorsements, opinions about their political stances, and updates from speeches, press releases, and events. 

What’s the best way to sift through all this data? WeVote has put together a guide that outlines three strategies to help you become more informed about your representatives: 

1. Check Out Your Ballot

WeVote maintains up-to-date information about representatives across the United States and territories. From the WeVote homepage or app, you can enter the area where you’re registered to vote. From there, you can learn about candidates running for open positions in the next federal or state election. You can also review each candidate’s party and position and see which groups and individuals have endorsed the candidate. In addition, you can discover which major political values and concerns you share with a representative’s campaign.

Image by Vilius Kukanauskas, Pixabay

The big-picture information about researching representatives is best summarized by their political values and endorsers. This will give you an idea of how the candidate leans on particular issues. You can see which ones are most important to them. If you’re looking for more information, you can also follow links to each candidate’s website and social media.

2. Researching Representatives 

Now that you have an idea about who’s new on your ballot for the upcoming election, it’s time to focus on the individuals currently representing you in office. Congress.gov gives you the opportunity researching representatives. You can review bills that have been introduced during their term, as well as those that the congressperson has sponsored. Additionally, you can see what remarks they have made in the congressional record. From there, you can better understand the legislation your congressperson has endorsed, how they have managed their time as your representative, and maybe even help you decide whether or not you’ll be voting for them come re-election. 

USA.gov is another website that features information about in-office federal representatives, as well as state and local representatives. This site can be especially helpful when wanting to learn more about local representatives who may not receive as much media attention as prominent federal figures. Nonetheless, they have the power to change local policy on issues such as education, zoning laws, construction, and local taxes, among other concerns. 

3. Dive into Candidate/Representative Websites  

Candidate or representative websites can provide an in-depth look at what their campaign supports. Their websites include full explanations of the political values they aim to uphold in office, as well as their political plan or agenda while in office. 

You can also learn about a candidate’s background, why they want to run for office, and the experience that makes them worthy of your representation. Exploring candidate and representative websites is akin to a manager reviewing a resume to see if the applicant is a match. For additional insights, consider reaching out via their official websites. These websites often offer contact options to ask questions or express concerns.

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

Informed Voting
So why does all this matter? You wouldn’t want to make a big hire at work based on only surface-level information; you’d want the full picture to give you the best sense of your options. So choose the research strategies that best suit your needs, whether that’s a general candidate overview, a deep dive into their supported legislation, or checking out their website. Whatever way you choose, remember that you have the power to effect change with an informed vote.

About WeVote: 

WeVote is a 100 percent volunteer-driven, non-profit organization with a mission to build the next generation of voting technology so voters at a hyper-local level can be informed on the issues they care about, curated by people they trust. By connecting neighbor-with-neighbor and friend-with-friend, we help voters cut through the clutter to understand what’s on their ballot. The open platform lets anybody create and share voter guides that aggregate information and opinions across networks so you can help others become better voters too. Vote red, vote blue, vote rainbows, we just want you to vote, and that’s why we’re here.