Making an informed vote is more involved than simply casting your ballot.

Not only will you have candidates at the federal, state, and local levels on your election form, but there are also likely to be ballot initiatives ranging from new local taxes to amendments to your state constitution. Before casting your ballot, be sure to review who and what you are being asked to vote for.

What issues are important to know about before I vote? Why does it matter? 

Every voter has a unique set of issues and values they consider important and would like to see represented in our government. There is no “right” set of issues or policies to prioritize, although current events are likely to elevate certain topics to widespread prominence. What matters is identifying the things that are important for you: your vote should represent what you want to see in your government and what policies you believe will be the most beneficial for you, however, you choose to define it.

Even after the election has finished, it’s important to be aware of who and what you voted for to hold your government accountable should they fail to act on any of your key issues. Without this knowledge, it’s hard to know where the problem lies and take necessary action.

How do I learn more about what will be on my ballot?Most states will have their ballots finalized and available for public review by early September. You can find this information online at USA.gov or the website of your Secretary of State. Very often, however, simply knowing what you will read on your ballot is not enough to know how you want to vote. There exist copious third-party resources to help you in this process.

[Ed. Note: Given that ballots have not been widely finalized, many of these resources are still incomplete. Bookmark them and be sure to continue checking back as Election Day draws nearer, and more resources are updated!]

Review the candidates and identify where they stand on the issues that are important to you. If a candidate is an incumbent official, you can check their voting records alongside their campaign materials, etc. This is not always straightforward to uncover at the state and local levels and may require you to know the names of specific pieces of legislation or to contact their elected body (such as city councils or school boards) directly. 

For incumbent officeholders at the national level, GovTrack is a nonpartisan organization that provides an easy-to-use platform for just this purpose. Individual profiles include useful but difficult to parse details like the most common issue areas for which a Congressperson sponsors bills. For new candidates, reviewing the materials available on their websites is a good place to start, alongside guides and analysis provided by organizations such as Vote411 (published by the league of Women Voters) and BallotReady.

Research the implications of candidate policies and ballot initiatives with subject matter experts. It’s not always possible to understand what a proposed law or policy position will mean for you without context. After all, what does a half-cent sales tax increase mean for the local economy? In these cases, dedicated issue organizations should be your first stop. 

Associations such as the American Farm Bureau, the National Education Association (NEA), and the Better Business Bureau often publish perspectives on election issues, usually through their local and state-level affiliates. If you can’t find any resources, these organizations are also good places to begin approaching with your questions – they may be able to put you in touch with the experts or otherwise direct you to the resources you need.

Ask your local journalists to report on election issues. Despite the erosion of local journalism over the past two decades, the press remains a valuable means for education around civic issues. If you aren’t sure where else to turn for information, they can be a wellspring of information – and if they know there is a demand for it, they are likely to publish more reporting on the elections and issues that fall low on the ballot. And if your circumstances allow it, be sure to subscribe or otherwise support independent local journalism!

Prep your own personal voting guide

As you conduct your research, be sure to keep track of the information you uncover and how you feel you should vote on each office and ballot issue in whatever manner you find most helpful. This will help keep the most pertinent information for you, the voter, at the ready for Election Day. You are allowed to use lists and even your cell phone in the voting booth, should you choose to vote in person, or while filling out your mail-in ballot – this isn’t a test! Many sites that publish ballot guides, such as the aforementioned Vote411 and BallotReady, allow you to record your candidate preferences and e-mail or otherwise store this information where you can readily access it come Election Day.

Click the button below to start your ballot research today.

Vote Ready