by Sharon Jones

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It does not matter whether you are voting in a national or local election, it is important to consider all of the applicants carefully and their policies before making a decision. However, for a lot of people, they struggle to know where to start. This is of little surprise when there is so much information available and the political system in itself is complex. Plus, there are a lot of lies out there too, and so separating the fact and the fiction can be difficult! With that being said, let’s take a look at how to decide who to vote for in elections.

There is only one place to begin, and this is with the candidates. It is important to remember that there will usually be a number of different candidates to choose from. We often tend to zoom in on the two most popular candidates, i.e. those likely to receive the most votes. However, you will have plenty of different options, no matter whether you are electing the Arizona secretary of state or the president of the United States. Make sure you consider all options carefully so you have a full understanding of the electoral picture.

Researching the different candidates

Now that you are aware of who you can vote for, you now need to have a strategy for breaking this down so you can make the best decision. There are a number of different ways you can approach this. This includes the following…

• Research a candidate that has held an office or who is holding an office - You won’t have the research too hard to find this, as the voting history of every candidate is public. You can use your state legislature website for those who have held state office. If the candidate is running for federal office as a Senator or Representative, you can use the Congress.gov website for information on their voting record.

• Research the candidates’ views - The next step is to make sure you research all of the views the candidates have, especially on matters that are important to you. From global warming to employment, you should be able to find your candidates’ views on a whole host of subjects online. Make sure you use a variety of sources, for example, newspapers, organisation-specific documents, and online guides.

• Watch the debates - The final step is to watch the debates, which will show candidates asking questions about various issues before the election. There will be many different debates with various parties in the run up to any election.

Hopefully, you now feel more prepared in terms of doing your research and figuring out who to vote for in the elections. If you follow the steps that have been presented above, you should have no trouble having a better understanding regarding who to vote for. You may still find that you are a bit torn in your decision, but you will have the perfect basis to work upon so you can make the right decision for you.