iVoterGuide continues to grow in our election coverage, and we would love to extend our coverage into every state and cover every race. Until then, we want to equip you with tips and tools to research your candidates on down-ballot races. Below are 6 steps to help you vote wisely. For school board candidates, download our free eBook, Whose Side Are They On?, with tips to conduct your own research.
6 Steps to Researching Your Own Candidates
1. Gather your Supplies! Contact your county elections office to obtain a sample ballot, which can often be found online. Then grab a pen and paper.
2. Search! Do some sleuthing on each candidate. Do an internet search on their names, check their website, and browse their social media to see where they stand on the issues! Our article, Five Ways to Spot Fake Facts, may be helpful.
3. Follow the Money! Following the money is like a bloodhound sniffing out political motivations. Campaign finance information can be found at the Federal Election Commission (FEC), your state agency that manages campaign finance reporting, or your county elections office. Two campaign contribution categories provide insight on a candidate's political views:
- Donations FROM the candidate to other candidates, officeholders, and organizations indicate the candidate's political alignment. The FEC website and your state's agency that manages campaign finance reporting (it may be your Secretary of State) are good starting points for researching donations FROM the candidate.
- Donations TO the candidate from other individuals, candidates, officeholders, and organizations provide visibility on who influences or is aligned with the candidate's agenda. Required campaign finance filings may be obtained from your county elections office, or the state agency responsible for campaign finance transparency.
4. Consider Voting History! The best way to know what a person will do in the future . . . is to look at what they did in the past! Research the way your candidate voted on important issues.
- If your candidate previously held an office, organizations like Vote Smart and Ballotpedia may have recorded their votes and key actions taken while in office. Conservative and liberal organizations may also rate an officeholder's votes based on whether they align with the organization's values.
- Knowing which party's primary your candidate voted in can provide general insight into their policy views. These records may be public information. Accessing this information varies from state to state and from county to county. It may be as simple as downloading a registered voter file from the website of your county's Voter Registrar or elections office, but submitting an Open Records or Public Information Request may be required. Be sure to review your state's laws pertaining to use of registered voter data.
5. Check Endorsements! A candidate's website and social media may announce that they have been endorsed by certain people or organizations. When you come across endorsements:
- Look up the endorsing group to discover their mission statement and beliefs. To get a true picture of their values, you may need to search beyond a polished mission statement and visit other parts of their website and social media pages.
- If an elected official has endorsed a candidate, discern their beliefs as well. You can search our website to see if we have ever researched and evaluated their political ideology. If they have been endorsed by local public figures such as city council members or pastors, consider contacting them to ask their reasons for endorsing this candidate.
6. Contact! Call the candidate; ask questions that are important to you. Take advantage of our Candidate Questionnaires to give you ideas.
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