How to be an informed and regular voter?

Question

I need to make an outline on the steps to being a informed and regular voter. I have the basic gist of the topic, but I'm not sure where to begin. If someone could kindly help me here it would be nice.

Thanks

-Narumi

Answer 1

The first item is to register to vote.  This is the first step of becoming a regular voter.  Once you register to vote, you make the effort to go to the polls then there is an election.

You read from variety of sources about the candidates or proposals being voted on.  This is done by using the internet, newspapers, magazines and going to meet the candidate events.

Answer 2

Being a regular voter is easy.  Just do it.  I am a permanent absentee voter so I always get the ballot delivered through the mail.  That makes it very easy.  Also, to stay a permanent absentee, you MUST vote in major election.  

As to being informed, the only way is to read the paper or watch internet or TV news.  This website will help you decide how you feel about issues and what candidates are saying regarding them. http://www.myelectionchoices.com/

-MM

Answer 3

To be an informed voter you just need to stay aware of what's going on around you.  Read your local newspaper, watch local and national news on TV.  But make yourself informed.  If you hear that the local mil rate is going up, do you know what that means?  Look it up.  You hear they want to change the zoning of property near you, look into what zoning means and the different types.

The two most important ways to be an informed voter is to get your info from several sources but form your own opinion.  Are you going to vote republican because you are a republican or because that candidate stands for the things important to you?

Listen.  Listen. Listen.  Listen to people around you talking about issues.  Get different view points.  See how a certain issue may benefit you but will negatively affect hundreds of your neighbors.

Make voting important to you.  Accept how voting makes you a part of the process instead of an observer.  The old adage "if you don't vote you can't complain" is very true.

Is Narumi Japanese? arigato

Answer 4

I think you are missing the boat. Voting once every two or four years is not enough, even if informed, to be able to believe you have done your civic duty.  What is needed, I think, is for you to become involved on a more frequent basis in trying to improve your country, whatever it may be. In the U.S., for example, a registered voter can cast his/her vote every 4 years to elect the President, but much goes on between these 4-year intervals and we need people trying to improve the country during all of the 4-year period.

I have come to the conclusion (after trying to run for statewide office in 2006) that the political system needs substantial change. It is designed and enhanced by persons already in office, to ensure that others can't replace them very easily. The two main parties (Republican and Democratic) work with each other to keep themselves as the only candidates for office having any chance at all, usually, and this is supported by the major corporations and interests in the world who directly or indirectly provide the money needed for either of the two parties to win - these supporters don't care that much, as long as it is a Republican or Democrat who wins. The results after the election will be pretty much the same, as you probably are beginning to see. It really makes little difference who wins an election at the federal level (President, U.S. Senator or U.S. Congressperson).

I have come to the conclusion that we have to redo politics from the ground up, starting at the local level, where you and I have the best chance of enacting reform.

I have various free websites to accomplish these reforms: see

www.lawmall.com/NYCBallotInitiatives (containing drafts of 29 petitions to be enacted hopefully by voters of NYC in subsequent general elections - this is something which every town, village and city in New York State could do, and in other states as well, such as in California, through referendums or referenda). Also, see my free 20 campaign issues for anyone running for local office, at www.lawmall.com/electionissues and finally look at my free website www.myclads.com to see a mechanism for delivering money to your local constituents through a free website which enables users to define what tasks they would like to perform (instead of trying to get a job) with a ZIP Code radius search to enable anyone within 50 miles of the town to be able to find someone offering to perform a desired task. If you helped your constituents list the hundreds of tasks they would like to perform for money on this website, you could remake the entire town financially into a prosperous town, and make yourself into a successful reform politician.

Let me know if I can help you in any way (at no charge, of course).

Answer 5

Do not trust any media that does not present both sides equally.Judge politicians on there record and not just what they say they will do.Remember if you don`t vote you have no right to complain.Remember how lucky you are to live in country were you can vote.

Answer 6

Read this article on Civic  engagement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civic_engag...

Good Luck!!!