Election Decisions: Where to Gather Information Before Voting

I confess, I don't get nearly as excited about elections as I used to. I've decided, though, I don't need to be excited. I need to do my duty and vote in every election that I can.

One reason for my lack of excitement is I need good information and that is hard to come by. While watching TV ads, reading or watching the news is a starting place these sources aren't going to give me the all the information I need to make a good decision at the polls.

"Information." Was the constant refrain of Johnny Five in the movie "Short Circuit." And I have to agree that we need information about the people and issues we are being asked to vote for. Is one candidate better than another? Or are they both equally good, just with different view points? What if they are equally bad? Robert A. Heinlein wrote that the difference between bad and worse was much greater than the difference between good and better. Over the years I've come to agree with him. Incidentally, the idea probably wasn't original with Heinlein. It is just that I read it in one of his books.

When you feel you are confronted with two bad choices your need for critical information is much greater than if you are looking at two good choices. With the good choices you can vote for whichever one pleases you the most. With two bad choices it is imperative that you choose the best not the worst of the two.

Reading opposing views can provide you with some possible information, but it may not be all that you need. Likewise watching news casts that are opposite one another can be a source of useful information. National Public Radio and TV offer more extensive in depth views of candidates and issues. One source that isn't readily obvious is British Broadcasting Company, BBC, news. This will definitely off a different viewpoint.

A search on the internet can drown you in information, both good and bad. For national elections there are a number of good sites to go to in order to further your knowledge of the candidates and the issues.

The Women's League of Voters has long been an excellent source of information in both national and local elections. In addition to their site for adultshttp://www.lwv.org/Election2008/index.html, they also offer Take Your Kids to Vote at www.Takeyourkids2vote.org to help parents introduce their children to the election and voting process.

Other places to find information are, Holding Politicians Accountable at www.factcheck.org and Every Political Leader on Every Issue at www.ontheissues.org

Good information is critical to making a wise decision in any election, but if the choice seems unusually difficult it is even more important to find as many true facts as possible before voting.