While many Hopkins students and faculty have already voted in their home states by absentee ballot, those of us voting in Maryland venture to the polls tomorrow to cast our ballots.
Only 4 years ago that Howard Dean was lauded as the first presidential candidate to use the internet to mobilize voters and raise funds.
Well, that was then and this is now. Each candidate has a strong online presence (complete with homepage, Facebook groups, YouTube commercials, etc.), and more and more people are turning to the internet to stay informed and to get realtime information about candidates. If you haven’t made your decision yet … or you have and just want to keep yourself in the loop on where all of the candidates stand on crucial issues, check out some of these websites.
FactCheck – Thank the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center for this wonderful site that evaluates the accuracy of the claims made by candidates.
Indecision 2008 – It is no news to anyone that the many voters under 35 get a good deal of their political news from the “Daily Show.” This Comedy Central site accumulates video clips, interviews, and other resources to keep voters informed and laughing.
The University of Michigan Documents Center: Elections 2008 – University of Michigan’s megasite is pretty amazing. Offering insight on where to find background information on voting, specific presidential and congressional candidates, and policy issues, this site is a “must visit” for the savvy voter.
Politifact – Congressional Quarterly and the St. Petersburg Times joined forces to create this site which uses scorecards and factsheets to keep tabs on claims made by candidates. I adore Politifact’s Truth-O-Meter, which may have you singing a chorus of “liar liar pants on fire” as you watch the evening news.
Project Vote Smart – Vote Smart provides trusted and up-to-date information about elected officials and political candidates. A non-partisan organization, Vote Smart is a great place to find reliable research that’s not mired in partisan politics.
Happy voting!