SCVotes.org also has a great list of Frequently Asked Questions to answer things like, "How do I apply for an absentee ballot?", and, "What are the official results?".
Getting the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when it comes to making decisions about who to vote for is absolutely crucial to making an informed decision that you feel confident about.
Check out FactCheck.org whose mission statement reads that they are "a nonpartisan, nonprofit 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.".
Politifact is another resource to fact check all of the information that gets thrown at us each and every day regarding politics. This not-for-profit organization says, "fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy."
Richland Library is also proud to offer NewsGuard on all public computers in our 13 library locations. NewsGuard "provides reliability ratings and detailed 'Nutrition Labels' for thousands of news and information websites."
If you find you need reminders about where and when to vote, sign up for TurboVote.com's text messages that will alert you the day before an election. This nonpartisan organization is focused on increasing voter turnout nationwide.
If you are newly voting age, check out the Student Voters Guide from BestColleges.com. It is chock full of crucial information for first time voters.
If you need to vote by absentee ballot, click here or here for more information.
"Any person who is convicted of a felony or an offense against the election laws is not qualified to register or to vote, UNLESS the disqualification has been removed by service of the sentence, or unless sooner pardoned. Service of sentence includes completion of any prison/jail time, probation and parole." See more information about felon voting rights here.
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." - Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States: Section 1
Ballot Ready is an interactive site that allows you to easily view all candidates, with links to their websites, and build a sample ballot. It is broken down by federal, state, county and local elections.
The Federal Goverment has a page dedicated to voting and teaches voters how to make informed decisions, answers questions about how and when to vote, and has a super handy glossary with definitions of commonly used voting and election terms. It also shows a succinct visual of the presidential election process, explains the electoral college, primaries and caucuses, and national conventions.
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." - Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States
For those serving in the military, check out the Overseas Vote Foundation for more information on making your vote count while serving our country.
Ballotpedia.org has a user-friendly sample ballot lookup tool. All you have to do is enter your address and it will show you who will be on the next ballot and provides links to the candidate's campaign site.
Here are a few books about American politics to get you in the voting spirit. See you at the polls!
