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ELECTIONS: VOTER EDUCATION *2008*

The websites discussed in this guide are primarily concerned with non-partisan resources for candidate information: Campaign finance, positions on issues, voting records, “special interest” groups’ or lobbyists’ ratings.  Most information is for federal and state candidates, with a limited amount for state legislature candidates and mayors.  This guide also includes links to the following: Official sites for political parties, federal and state official sites concerned with election regulations & procedures, public interest organizations concerned with election reform and political action (contacting/petitioning elected officials), news and political analysis.


Capitol Spotlight

•  Sponsored by C-SPAN and Congressional Quarterly, this site concentrates on Congress: news, legislators, pending legislation, committees, related information
•  CQ features “Bills to Watch,,” a weekly report on the progress (or lack thereof) of select legislation currently under consideration
•  “Directory” links to information on all members of Congress; included contact information, personal profile, committee assignments; “Web Resources” component links to Executive Office, federal agencies, state/local government links, judicial sites, “Media Organizations,” “Policy Organizations”
•  “Votes Library” tracks members’ voting records; searchable by legislator, bill title, subject; archived from 1996 to the present
•  “Updated daily”
•  Outstanding; one of the best sites for in-depth, up-to-date news/analysis, legislator information; easy-to-navigate


Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP)

•  Sponsored by the Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University
•  “A university-based research, education and public service center,” whose “mission is to promote greater knowledge and understanding about women’s participation in politics and government and to enhance women’s influence and leadership in public life”
•  “Facts and Findings” presents statistical/demographic/directory information for women officeholders on the federal, state and county/local levels for elective office and cabinet/executive positions; also includes “Historical Officeholder” summaries and “State by State Information”
•  “Web Sites of Interest” (under “Get Connected”) links to U.S. sites for relevant professional organizations, networks, research centers, election sites; includes links to sites for global politics, recruitment/training programs, research/scholarship information, additional information
•  Outstanding; the best source for up-to-date and historical information for women’s participation in American politics at all levels


Center for Voting and Democracy (CVD)

•  The Center for Voting and Democracy is “… dedicated to fair elections where every vote counts and all voters are represented”
•  Funded by public donations and support from foundations
•  “Online Library” is “… a repository of articles and reports about proportional representation, electoral reform, and a variety of other subjects,” which include “Cumulative Voting,” “Legal Resources,” “Redistricting,” “Voter Turnout,” “Voter Rights”
•  Based on past results, “Monopoly Politics 2002” (released in September, 2002) predicted the outcome of House elections with 100% success
•  Links to “State Full Representation Advocacy Groups” and “Election Information Sites”
•  Also includes information on CVD’s initiatives, programs, resources and employment/internship opportunities
•  Updated regularly; e-news option available
•  Welcomes feedback
•  Excellent; runs the gamut of election procedural issues, with special attention to proportional representation


CJR Daily (CJRD)

•  Sponsored by the Columbia Journalism Review, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University
•  “This site was born as Campaign Desk in 2004, with a mandate to monitor news coverage of the presidential elections campaign”
•  “A real-time daily critique of journalism and a continuing discussion and analysis of where it is and where it’s going”
•  In addition to “Politics,,” its political analysis/news, CJRD has expanded its focus to include journalism (“Behind the News”) and business analysis/news (“The Audit”
•  Updated daily
•  Searchable
•  Outstanding; one of the best resources for up-to-date political analysis/commentary (as well as valuable insights into the journalism profession and the business media


CQPolitics.com

•  This site, sponsored by one of the most respected political research organizations, concentrates on U.S. political news/analysis
•  “Top CQ Stories” provides an RSS feed of up-to-date political news from the nation and the Capitol; also provides the “Latest from the AP Political Wire”
•  “Campaigns” offers incisive analysis on the presidential, Congressional and gubernatorial races; the most competitive races in each category are analyzed; features include state political/demographic information, “State Election History” for the last decade and campaign finance information for the upcoming election; may also include additional commentary on other political developments within a state
•  “Washington” features “Eye on Congress,” which includes member information (“Meet the Lawmaker”), vote analysis and “Bills to Watch”
•  “The Issues” profiles a number of foreign-policy, economic and security issues; includes background information, transcripts of pertinent interviews/speeches/briefings
•  Outstanding; this is a great site for current news and analysis; best feature is in-depth information on state/Congressional campaigns


E-Democracy: U.S. – Political News, Information and Links

•  Originally affiliated with Minnesota E-Democracy, this nationally based resource, is “…your non-profit, non-partisan starting place for election and political information,, announcements, news and discussions”
•  “ Our year round focus is on the use of the Internet to improve citizen participation and real world governance through online discussions and information and knowledge exchange”
•  Links to extensive (over 170) sites for the following categories: “Voting,” “Election News,” “Non-Profit and Government Resources,” “Discussion,” “Directories”
•  Topics examined in these categories include the following: voter education, voter turnout, election-oriented public interest organizations, media (broadcast/print), government sites, political action organizations, e-mail discussion groups, news groups, non-profit directories
•  Includes information on E-Democracy’s projects, donations, news, volunteer opportunities, training
•  Outstanding; comprehensive and well-balanced in its coverage of most aspects of the election process; variety of links is among the best currently available


Electionline.org

•  Maintained by the Electoral Reform Information Project (University of Richmond); supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts
•  Claiming to be “… the nation’s only non-partisan, non-advocacy website providing up-to-the-minute news and analysis on election reform,” this site seeks to be “… a clearinghouse for election reform information,” and “… a forum for learning about, discussing, and analyzing election reform issues”
•  Provides daily updates of news pertaining to election-related news around the nation
•  “Government Links” connect to official election-oriented sites on the federal and local state level
•  “Commission Links” connect to federal electoral commissions and task forces sponsored by universities and “think tanks”
•  “Organization Links” connect to public interest organizations and to professional associations/organizations of state employees who deal with election-related functions (“National Association of Counties,” “National Association of State Election Directors,” etc.)
•  Excellent; one of the best sources on election reform and election-related issues; the links are especially useful


Elections and Campaign Analysis Research Guide

•  Maintained by Connie Ury for the Owens Library, Northwest Missouri University
•  A directory of print, Internet and database resources, this guide offers coverage for some of the most authoritative resources for elections in the U.S.
•  “Websites” offers well-annotated links to academic sites, public interest organizations, and government sites
•  Print resources discussed on this page may be found in many academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Databases are restricted to the Northwest Missouri University academic community; they may be available at many academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Also includes advice on strategies for maximizing the efficiency of conducting research
•  Excellent; a great place to access many of the core resources for elections in the U.S.


Electoral College, Political Parties, and Elections: Sites to Help You Through the Voting Process

•  Compiled by Beth Jane Toren, West Virginia University Libraries
•  Published in the July/August 2004 issue of College & Research Library News
•  Links to over 40 election-related resources, including meta-sites, U.S. elections, Electoral College information, news groups, political parties, research centers/organizations, “Election procedures and statistics;” also includes some links to international election sites
•  Excellent annotations accompany all sites
•  Last updated May 2007
•  Outstanding; a well-balanced, informative resource for accessing many of the best sources for elections/politics for the U.S.


e.thepeople

•  Sponsored by the “Democratic Project,” “a nonprofit organization aimed at creating citizen-centric public spaces on the Internet”
•  “The digital town hall of the nation,” e.thePeople… “ promotes intelligent, diverse and deliberative discussions, both here and among a network of sites around the Internet”
•  This interactive site encourages and facilitates online discussion via “Conversation,” “Letters (Connect with Your Government),” “Petitions” (sign an existing petition or create one)
•  “Issues & Action” monitors pending legislation in Congress and roll call votes; a sub-category, “Browse by Issue Area” (currently over 50 issues) allows users to track legislation through Congress; also links to relevant organizations for the issue
•  “Questions” feature available
•  Membership is required for full access to the site (but it’s free!)
•  Excellent; not only does this site provide a forum for contacting government officials, it also provides information disclosing Congressional activities, very useful in determining legislators’ accountability


FactCheck.org

•  Sponsored by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (University of Pennsylvania)
•  “A non-partisan, nonprofit ‘consumer advocate’ for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics”
•  “Accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals”
•  Monitors content of “TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases” for accuracy
•  Outstanding; provides much needed clarification for political charges/counter-charges in the upcoming election


Federal Election Commission (FEC)

•  This is the official site for federal election information (presidential and congressional) and campaign finance information
•  Provides instructional “guides for maximizing the site’s usefulness for citizens, the media, candidates/committees
•  Links to campaign finance reports/data, reporting forms, filings information, legal resources, voting registration requirements
•  Includes information on the FEC’s mission, history, initiatives, services
•  Updated frequently
•  For best results, browse the “Site Map” (over 60 categories of information)
•  This is the site for the most up-to-date, authoritative information on federal elections


Health08.org

•  Sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation
•  “Part of a broad effort … to provide a central hub for resources and information about health policy issues in the 2008 election”
•  “Provides analysis of policy issues, regular public opinion surveys, daily news updates, video of speeches and debates from the campaign trail, original interviews”
•  “Side-by-Side Summary” provides comparisons for up to four candidates’ healthcare positions at a time; printable in pdf. format
•  “Analysis” links to 15 policy analysis fact sheets/primers on the following issues: national healthcare costs, the SCHIP program, state coverage of the uninsured, healthcare data and information for each state, Medicaid, Medicare, HIV/AIDS
•  “Polls” links to 7 Kaiser- produced healthcare polls and to 11 polls from other organizations; all polls (with the exception of an archived site) were conducted in 2007
•  “Resources” links to 37 healthcare-related organizations/research centers/foundations for the following: “Policy Resources,” “Campaigns, Initiatives, Proposals,” “Summaries and Analysis,” “State Health Reform”
•  Outstanding; this is everything a topic-specific research site should be; it covers every aspect and multiple viewpoints on this most complex and important national issue; highly recommended


Keele Guide to Elections and Electoral Systems in the United States

•  Sponsored by School of Politics, International Relations & Philosophy, Keele University
•  Meta-site (26 pp.) of over 500 links on American elections/politics from a British university
•  Extensive links to the Electoral College, voting rights, campaign finance, “integrity” of U.S. elections, election results, political parties
•  2008 elections (9 pp.) includes general coverage, “candidates and potential candidates”; may include official sites, You Tube, MySpace, Wikipedia, blogs
•  Links to elections in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006
•  Not annotated
•  Excellent resource; there are a lot of useful sites, but users should be advised that caution should be used when dealing with the accuracy of blogs, Wikipedia and similar sites


League of Women Voters (LWV)

•  One of the oldest and most respected voter education organizations, “The League of Women voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy”
•  “Issues Priorities” presents the LWV’s positions on the following: “Campaign Finance Reform,” “Civil Liberties,” “Election Administration,” “Ethics and Lobbying Reform,” and related educational endeavors
•  Contains an online version (under “Library”) of The National Voter, the LWV’s quarterly journal of analysis/commentary on civic life and politics; archived from 1999
•  Includes information on LWV membership, initiatives, programs, services
•  An excellent resource for well-researched political issues and one of the foremost organizations for active participation in civic life


On the Issues

•  “Our mission is to provide non-partisan information for voters in the Presidential election, so that votes can be based on issues rather than on personalities and popularity”
•  Sources utilized include “… newspapers, speeches, press releases, and the Internet”
•  Browse by Presidential candidate for “issues stances;” also may be browsed by “issue stance” (over 20) for candidates’ positions
•  Provides “issues stances” for senators, congressmen and major state officeholders
•  Also links to candidate “quotes” on various issues, biographical information
•  Encourages participation in the electoral process (“Start a Petition,” “Sign a Petition,” Send a Message”)
•  Searchable
•  Information on previous Presidential elections is still posted, but vast majority of information is current
•  Searchable
•  Outstanding; an excellent job of tracking candidates’ positions on major issues of the day; highly recommended


PACronyms

•  Sponsored by the Federal Election Commission (FEC)
•  “… Prepared to help researchers readily identify committees when their full names are not discussed on campaign finance reports”
•  Each political action committee (PAC) listed includes the following information: PAC acronym, full committee name, address, FEC I.D. number, name of sponsoring organization (“… if not readily available from the full committee name”)
•  Identifies companion documents (alphabetized lists by state and by sponsoring agency), which are available from the Public Records Office
•  Best official source for retrieving identification data on PACs


Political Wire

•  Maintained by Taegan Goddard, columnist (“Political Wire”) and author
•  This site’s primary emphasis on “breaking” political news on the national, regional and state levels
•  “More Buzz” links to political analysis from individual columnists as well as other “opinion” sites (CQ Politics, Roll Call, History Wire, Drudge Report, Real Clear Politics)
•  “Pollsters” links to 19 prominent polls (including Pew Research, Gallup Poll, Harris Poll, Polling Report”)
•  Continuously updated
•  “This is a personal site and does not necessarily reflect the views of any company, political campaign or advocacy group”
•  Excellent; one of the best online sources for keeping track of the nation’s political pulse


Politics 1

•  Created and maintained by Ron Gunzburger; hosted by Softec Internet Services
•  Claiming to be “The Most Comprehensive Online Guide to American Politics,” this award-winning site “… is published as a non-partisan public service to promote fully informed decision-making by the American electorate”
•  Extensive links to sites for all currently active presidential candidates, both major and minor
•  “The 50 States Pages” link to “State & Congressional Candidates, Campaigns, Elections, State Parties, Local News Sources and More”; also includes links to U.S. dependencies and territories
•  “Political Parties” links to major parties and numerous obscure parties; annotations for the latter are very useful for background information
•  “Issues” links to 19 topics of public concern; each topic (abortion, education, health care, etc.) links to “special interest” groups/organizations which represent contrasting viewpoints on the topic
•  Also links to an extensive array of national/international news sources and other politically oriented “gateway” sites
•  Outstanding; Gunzburger has done an excellent job of compiling a comprehensive array of links to almost every conceivable entity currently involved in U.S. politics and has done so in as objective a manner as possible; highly recommended


Politics Navigator

•  Sponsored by the New York Times; maintained by Rick Meislin
•  “A selective guide to political sites on the Internet”
•  Links to sites for the following: federal government (all branches), political parties, “public interest” organizations (lobbying groups – conservative and liberal, specific issues), media/commentary, news organizations, polling (national/state), campaign funding, academic research centers
•  Minimal annotations
•  Excellent; many links here are available on other sites, but the links here for media/commentary, lobbying groups and polling are especially useful


Project Vote Smart (PVS)

•  A nonprofit, nonpartisan project affiliated with the Center for National Independence, Project Vote Smart was founded in 1992, with the support of 40 “national leaders” (including former presidents Ford and Carter)
•  Funded by member donations, grants (Carnegie, Ford, Pew and other foundations); no contributions from corporations, government, lobbyists or “special interests”
•  Posts comprehensive data on presidential candidates, federal legislators, state officers, state legislators and mayors
•  Information includes biographical profile, campaign contributor information, positions on select issues, voting records (when available), ratings by “interest groups,” “public statements”
•  Comprehensiveness of information in the above categories varies; coverage of mayors is not as extensive as other candidates/public officials
•  “Presidential Election Resources” includes information about primaries (and how they work), operation of the Electoral College, party information, “Debates, Forums & Events”
•  Includes information on membership, initiatives, publications, employment opportunities
•  Searchable by candidate and zipcode
•  Outstanding; one of the best resources for information on candidates especially on campaign finance, “interest group” ratings, and profiles of state legislators; highly recommended


Religion and Politics 2008

•  Maintained by The Pew Forum & Public Life, which “… seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs”
•  Part of The Pew Research Center (PRC), “a nonpartisan ‘fact tank’ that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world”
•  “Compare Candidates” allows users to access in-depth policy analysis and candidate positions on 12 domestic and foreign policy issues; includes the death penalty, the Iraq War, healthcare and stem cell research
•  “Key States” examines 8 states of importance in early caucuses/primaries; provides a “Religious Profile” of the state, “Past Results,” and links to relevant websites
•  “Issues” examines the role of religion in domestic issues, politics, education, social welfare, the law and “world affairs”; analysis of each issue includes transcripts of speeches/interviews, PRC-produced publications/reports and news updates
•  Outstanding; this forum and the PRC are part of the Pew Charitable Trusts, long a leader in public affairs issues, relying on intensive polling and balanced analysis of issues of great significance in American life


Skeleton Closet

•  Maintained by Real People for Real Change (RPRC)
•  RPRC considers itself to be an “… independent, non-partisan political group” with an “aim to attack all presidential candidates with brutal fairness”
•  “Not authorized by any candidate’s committee”
•  Primary focus of this site is exposing the controversial (and occasionally seamier) side of presidential candidates, often in a humorous, highly-irreverent manner
•  Since most of the content posted on the site is controversial in nature, care has been taken to provide documentation for the sources utilized in creating the page
•  Geared toward current candidates for president; much content from past elections is still online, however
•  Also links to historical political scandals, ideas for reform
•  “Check back here on November 8, 2006 for a full roster of new candidates”
•  Excellent; most comprehensive site for this type of information


U.S. Congress Votes Database

•  Maintained by the Washington Post
•  “Lets you browse every vote in the U.S. Congress since 1991”
•  “Browse votes in a variety of ways – both in the aggregate and for individual members of Congress”
•  Includes data on missed votes, votes with party, late-night votes, financial disclosure, additional “Votes by Type”
•  Links to “Biographical Directory of the United States Congress,” which provides a profile of all members of Congress, from 1774 to the present
•  Provides information on the methodology utilized in creating the site
•  “Updated several times a day”
•  Outstanding; the best resource for locating information on how members of Congress have voted over the past decade and a half


Websites discussed on this page are for informational purposes only. Johnson & Wales University Library is not responsible for the accuracy, content or stability of any websites linked to this page.

Compiled by Rick Keogh, 4/04; revised 1/08

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