STEPS TO BECOMING A BETTER VOTER

1. Register to vote
You may not be sure if you are registered to vote. To find out, check with your local Board of Elections, call the local office of a political party (Republicans, Democrats, etc.), or contact any of the civic groups and political organizations in your community and ask for voter registration information.

2. Educate yourself about the candidates
Once you have registered to vote, you now face the question of who to vote for, and why should you vote for them? In deciding which candidate to support, call them on the telephone or try to meet with them. Candidates for the state legislature tend to be very accessible. Some candidates on the state level will purchase local newspaper and radio ads to introduce you to their campaign. The candidates will probably speak publicly at forums, debates, or rallies. You should attend events such as these and listen carefully to what both sides are saying. Ask pointed questions about local issues. For instance candidates at this level should be answering questions such as:

How will you bring jobs to our community?
What is your plan for fighting crime in our neighborhoods?
Will you vote for lower taxes in our state?
Where do you stand on school choice?

You will also have to decide which candidates you support for federal office. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are elected every two years, members of the U.S. Senate are elected for six years, and the President of the United States serves for four years. You can expect to get to know the candidates running for federal office through the newspapers, television and radio advertising, the Internet, rallies, debates, and public forums. You should have ample opportunity to get to know all the candidates at this level. In addition, most of these candidates will open campaign headquarters where you can speak to a campaign worker and request campaign literature about the candidate.

3. Go out and vote
Now that you have gotten to know the candidates and their views, you can make your decision. The next step is ensuring that you cast your vote on Election Day. While the second Tuesday in November is General Election Day, there are other elections you need to be aware of.

In order to select nominees for the General Election, you will choose among various candidates in a primary election, a caucus, a convention, or a mass meeting. In a primary election, administered by the government, you will go to the polling booth to vote for the candidate of your choice to be the nominee. A caucus, convention, or mass meeting is a gathering of party activists to determine the nominee(s), and is called by the party.

As well, sometimes there are special elections. These may occur if a sitting officeholder dies, resigns, is appointed to another office, or is impeached. When an office is vacated in this way, usually the Governor will assign the date for a special election.

4. Encourage Family and Friends to Vote
As a citizen-activist, you are knowledgeable about the candidates and motivated to create change with your vote. However, many votes are needed to win an election. Therefore, you should engage family and friends in political discussions and encourage them to act on their convictions, and go out and vote!