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Voter Education

Think all candidates are alike? Find out for yourself:

Get the facts. Find the answers. You decide.

Vote.

QUICK LINKS:

Easy Voter Guide [pdf]

Voter Registration Information from Santa Barbara County.

Where's my polling place? (under "Find Your Ballot")

Calif. Official Voter Information Guide [pdf]

On the Issues

So, what's important to you?

Who should be our next President?
Who should be your U.S. or State Representative?
Check out the discussion on the issues.

The issues | Research the candidates & issues | Checking the facts
Elections & voter information | Get-out-the-vote sites
Political groups | Newspapers
Be informed and make your vote count.

Register by: OCTOBER 20 to vote on NOVEMBER 4, 2008.

The issues

So what are some of the issues?

California State Propositions [coming soon]
Learn About the Issues
The Public Agenda site covers some of the biggies in general, and they have developed Issue Guides linked off this page, "which distill facts and analysis from major news and public opinion sources."

Are you one who says, "My vote doesn't make a difference"? Think again. Sure it counts. Use it to let the politicians know what you think. Your vote can influence them on what decisions they make.

No time to get involved? There's probably no easier way to do so than to vote.

Find your polling place: click here, then fill out the info under "Find Your Ballot"

Research the candidates & issues

Rather than rely on headlines, see for yourself what the candidates stand for, or what the issues are about. There are plenty of nonpartisan sites that can help:

Santa Barbara County Voter Information, from the League of Women Voters
Election Preview - Primary Winners Only on the California ballot. This is a preview of the upcoming election showing just the candidates from the prior election carried into this election. In September information about all contests on your ballot will be added.
OnTheIssues "Every Political Leader on Every Issue"
California directory of candidates, from Politics1.com, "your complete directory of California candidates for Governor, State Cabinet, United State Senator and Congress in the current election cycle ... state political parties ... the official state election office ... and state news sources."
Project Vote Smart
covers candidates and elected officials: bios, positions, voting records, campaign finances and interest group ratings

Who gets what from whom: campaign finance
- CQ MoneyLine
- FEC disclosure data
- Follow the Money National Institute on Money in State Politics
- Open Secrets

Checking the facts

Fact Check "consumer advocate" for voters
PollingReport.com

Elections & voter information

About Elections from Santa Barbara County. Includes link to Voter Registration Information and Key Dates for the Presidential General Election
Easy Voter Guide [pdf], or visit the website, www.easyvoter.org
Smart Voter for California voters
State Elections & Voter Information from the State of California
For more resources, see: Campaigns and Elections: Research Guide, UCSB,
and: Elections 2008 from the University of Michigan Library Documents Center.

Get-out-the-vote sites

Declare Yourself national campaign to get out the vote
Rock the Vote

Political parties & political advocacy groups

National Political Parties
Political Parties
Lobbying Database from the Center for Responsive Politics. Search by client, lobbying individuals or firms, industry, issue, or agency.
Political Activist Groups from the National Political Index.
World Advocacy: Advocacy groups by topic.

Read newspapers

You can find articles on issues and candidates by searching full text newspapers and magazines online through the library's webpages.
[Current UCSB students, faculty and staff: click here: Off-Campus Access to Research Databases for information on access to our databases and electronic texts from off-campus.]

Go to Indexes and Databases and choose from of the following:

Academic Search Complete -- articles in magazines
Ethnic NewsWatch -- full text from the ethnic, minority and native press
GenderWatch -- full text publications that focus on gender issues
Lexis Nexis Academic -- full text newspapers
Los Angeles Times
New York Times
NewsBank - Access World News -- full text newspapers

Author: Voter Education group. Last modified: August 2008

University of California Santa Barbara Libraries

Please send comments to: Web Manager

Last Updated: 08/11/08 05:05:43