CookieMonster Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 How does one find out about who is running for what in a local election???? I know there are several ladies on here who are savvy in this area. Please help me. Prior to this election (today) I looked up the following on the internet: A Sample Ballot The websites of the two main parties The local paper for election news The sample ballot was, for all intents and purposes, a bust. My local city website had nada. It directed me to the county website. The county website only offered a sample ballot that included every single thing being voted on by every single precinct in the county. It was sixteen pages long. There was no division of items into different precincts; the ballot was divided by type of office/referendum. In other words I could not figure out what or who I would have the privilege of voting for (or against). The websites of the two main parties were a hit. I found out about each candidate on each side. The problem is that party candidates only make up about half of the people on my ballot. There were school board people, library board people, and others who are not party affiliated. I knew nothing about any of them - or that I was even going to be choosing them. The local paper was hopeless. It had election news in the form of: Meet the Candidates night at the Village Hall on Thursday. How does one find out who and what will be on the ballot?????????? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfbourne Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I don't know what to tell you. Our local paper here posts a run down of each candidate on the ballot. This last election there was school board and some local judges. It was only a very brief summary of each person's life, not even anything on their views that would effect their job, but it was something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Look for "The League of Women Voters" in your community. The devise voting guides. asta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Look for "The League of Women Voters" in your community. The devise voting guides. asta I have found their guides very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieMonster Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 Look for "The League of Women Voters" in your community. The devise voting guides. asta I looked it up with them. They've got nothing for my community. You know, this shouldn't be this hard. I want to vote. I want to know who is running - and for what! - and I can't find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I looked it up with them. They've got nothing for my community. Same here. bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Our local paper here posts a run down of each candidate on the ballot. Same here. Usually they ask 2-3 questions (same q's for each candidate), and print their answers plus a short bio. Maybe because we're in such a rural area, the reporters don't have much else to do? :tongue_smilie: They do this for everything from schoolboard to state rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieMonster Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 I guess I'll have to march myself into the government offices of my city and ask someone connected with the elections these questions myself. Surely the person in charge of the elections would be able to tell me what will appear on my ballot. It sure seems to me that they ought to have such information readily available. I thought maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place. Is it any wonder voter turnout is so low? Why would you bother going to the polls when you don't know what you're going there for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 How does one find out about who is running for what in a local election???? I know there are several ladies on here who are savvy in this area. Please help me. Prior to this election (today) I looked up the following on the internet: A Sample Ballot The websites of the two main parties The local paper for election news The sample ballot was, for all intents and purposes, a bust. My local city website had nada. It directed me to the county website. The county website only offered a sample ballot that included every single thing being voted on by every single precinct in the county. It was sixteen pages long. There was no division of items into different precincts; the ballot was divided by type of office/referendum. In other words I could not figure out what or who I would have the privilege of voting for (or against). The websites of the two main parties were a hit. I found out about each candidate on each side. The problem is that party candidates only make up about half of the people on my ballot. There were school board people, library board people, and others who are not party affiliated. I knew nothing about any of them - or that I was even going to be choosing them. The local paper was hopeless. It had election news in the form of: Meet the Candidates night at the Village Hall on Thursday. How does one find out who and what will be on the ballot?????????? TIA Was there possibly a filter button for precinct on the county board of elections website? You might call the board of elections and ask where you were supposed to be able to access information about which elections and issues were applicable to your precinct. (Although if the election just happened, you might get more attention from them after they've had a chance to certify the current election.) If not, I'd say this is an issue that is well worth commenting on, in writing to the Board of Elections and as a letter to the editor, guest commentary in your local paper. Go with the message of wanting to be an informed and involved voter but being frustrated by the effective disenfranchisement by making information about the upcoming ballot difficult to find. I'm sympathetic. I've been a military family absentee voter for over 7 years. I got a ballot a few weeks back for local commonwealth attorney. Trying to find credible information on these two fellows was futile. I was able to find vitriolic blog posts with few sources for their complaints. I was able to find their websites (which I thought were really lacking in biographic info or stands on issues). But not much that I thought really revealed much about the candidates. I ended up not voting that one at all. I cherish voting, but there's no way anymore that I'll vote for someone that I don't have a sense of character or goals about, no matter what party affiliation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I guess I'll have to march myself into the government offices of my city and ask someone connected with the elections these questions myself. Surely the person in charge of the elections would be able to tell me what will appear on my ballot. It sure seems to me that they ought to have such information readily available. I thought maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place. Is it any wonder voter turnout is so low? Why would you bother going to the polls when you don't know what you're going there for? This is what i was going to suggest since I've done it before. :) Call them up and ask when the best "non-busy" time would be to get a run down of who is being elected where. I agree that LWV does a thorough job, but I detest their stance on abortion and a few other [usually partisan] issues. eta: feel free to type up a list of your OWN questions and send them to the candidates. don't wait for someone else ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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