A public-service announcement for my U. S. readers: Primary elections are upon us. If you’re not registered to vote, do so online now.
Mid-term elections never seem as exciting as presidential-year ones, but with the congressional majority hanging in the balance, these are as crucial as any. (In the Senate, Democrats need six seats for control; in the House, they need 15.) Many state and local elections will be just as contentious. Although the Christian Science Monitor reports that “During the past 20 years, the percentage of eligible voters who have cast ballots in midterm elections has never risen above 40 percent,” you can bet that the ultra-right will be mobilizing their forces.
Once you’ve registered, you can use the following resources to become a more informed voter:
- To find a list of candidates by state (with links to their Web sites and e-mail addresses), try the handy map/search feature at Congress.org (an independent site not associated with the actual Congress).
- To evaluate candidates by their records on LGBT issues, you can browse the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund’s list of endorsed candidates, or HRC’s slightly outdated but still useful 2004 Congressional Scorecard.
- For candidates’ records on reproductive rights, try NARAL’s election page. (I don’t want to presume all my readers are pro-choice, but even if you’re not, you can use this site to decide who not to vote for.)
- On child-related issues such as education, healthcare funding, and gun control, see the Children’s Defense Fund Action Council’s 2005 Congressional scorecard.
Finally, read your local papers and watch your local news (online or off) over the next few weeks for information on candidates close to home. Local school board elections can have as much of an impact on our families as bigger-budget Congressional races.
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