Ballots will be sent out from the County Auditor’s office on October 14. Voting is possible now with absentee ballots, so, Vote your Values and Value Your Vote!
An excellent web site for factual information on state and national candidates is votesmart.org. This is a non-partisan web site with a board comprised of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. They have been rated by the New York Times and Associated Press as the best source for factual information on all candidates running for state and national office for every state. You can obtain a free 100-page Voters Self Defense Manual at the website or call toll free at 888-868-3762. You can also call this number with your questions on a candidate.
Votesmart.org has an interactive format, very easily navigated, allowing you to obtain the information you are seeking in a few minutes. You can find out how conservative and liberal organizations rate a candidate. If they have never run for office before, learn what they are saying on the campaign trail. What is their voting record compared to their votes if they have held office? Information on funding of candidates, biographical information, background checks is also provided here.
For K-12 teachers, there is a downloadable curriculum on civics at Civics Matters on the web site. Tools on the home page of GO Easy, Political Galaxy and I Spy, make it fast, easy, fun and interactive. At Political Galaxy enter the candidate’s name, issue you are interested in, and the information will pop up. There is a political courage test on which candidates answer questions on many issues. Any candidate who will not state his position on an issue is not caring to inform voters, which is not acceptable.
Remember: Register to vote, be an informed voter, vote your values and value your vote! Every vote counts.
Rae M. Piepho
Lutsen
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