A Right and A Responsibility

As American citizens living in a democratic country, we have both the right and the responsibility to vote come election day. And we have the responsibility to make an informed vote, to research the candidates and issues on the ballot and make a considered choice. I hope everyone who reads this will exercise their right to vote today and help show the world that we Americans value and respect our democratic form of government.

How do you make an informed choice? By reading statements from all the candidates running for each position and choosing the one who resonates with you. By reading endorsements for and against each issue on the ballot and again, making a conscious decision which way you will choose to vote. Don't let anyone else tell you how to vote. Decide for yourself.

In my community, there is the conservative Gazette newspaper and the liberal Independent newspaper. I read the endorsements in both and make up my own mind. I also read candidate interviews distributed by the League of Women's Voters, Citizen's Project, the local newspapers, and any other sources I can find and let the candidate's own words influence my decision. I hope you will take the time to become informed about the choices you will be presented with on election day and make your own considered decisions.

Here are a few nonpartisan resources to get you started. Supplement them with information from multiple local sources. The truth is usually somewhere in-between the partisan hand-waving. And vote. Please vote.

http://factcheck.org/

http://www.smartvoter.org/

http://www.vote-smart.org/