Online Resources for Political Know-how

By Elizabeth Wasserman

On the Internet, the voting booth never closes.

At any time of day, you can go online and read up on issues, candidates and information about elections -- such as the U.S. presidential contest, congressional races, and state and local races. You can also find out how to register to vote, where to cast your ballot and which candidate’s positions most match your own. And you can even use social networking sites to tell your friends whom you support. Even after Election Day, you can log on to discover who won, what it means for you and who may be running next time around.

“The Internet has become the central medium for people who are really interested in politics -- those who voluntarily seek information and seek out other people to share information with and to act,” says Michael Cornfield, an adjunct political science professor at George Washington University and author of Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet (Century Foundation Press).

With the clock counting down to groundbreaking elections in November, here’s how to use the web to get engaged in the political process:

Step No. 1: Research candidates’ positions
In a hotly contested election such as the U.S. presidential race, prospective voters like you want to know what’s at stake and how candidates stand on the issues. But there’s so much information about the election online, and anyone can launch a political blog or web site these days. So it’s important that you look to reputable online sources for your political information. Often the most trusted source is a candidate’s own official web site -- the domain name might consist of the candidate’s first and last name, last name and election year or some other similar combination. In the presidential race, for example, both Democratic candidate Barack Obama, of Illinois, and Republican candidate John McCain, of Arizona, use their first and last names for their official campaign web sites.

Also, media outlets -- such as CNN, The Washington Post, ABC News and Fox News -- have special sections on politics that include headlines from the campaign trail, and other features. ABC News has a game called Match-o-Matic II, which lets you read statements from each candidate about topics such as taxes, the Iraq war and healthcare to figure out with whom you agree most often. The Washington Post has a click-on map of the United States with information about presidential, Senate and gubernatorial contests in each state, including news, candidate information, fundraising totals and more. For more information about congressional races, Congressional Quarterly operates a site called CQ Politics that has an election map of every district, races to watch and poll results.

Step No. 2: Register to vote 
You can also turn to the Internet to find out how to register to vote and what the registration deadline is in your state. Each state requires you to register by a different deadline, from a month to a day before Election Day.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, sponsors a web site called Vote411, which has a searchable database of voter registration deadlines by state, forms for enrolling (these most often have to be printed out and mailed in) and information on absentee balloting and eligibility requirements. In addition, the site lets you search by your address and zip code so that you know exactly where to go to cast your ballot come Election Day.

Step No. 3: Promote your candidate and get results
With the rise of social networking through web sites like Facebook, MySpace and others, there is a variety of new ways that you can express your views about the election and help your chosen candidate win.

“The one thing you can do is use Facebook and MySpace to let people who are in your social circles know what you’re up to and who you support more easily than you could by emailing them all,” Cornfield says.

You can use your social networking page to join candidate fan clubs, participate in discussions with like-minded people and convince friends and contacts to support your candidate. Blogs offer another way to engage other like-minded voters in discussions about politics; there is an assortment of blogs and bloggers both on the left (such as Huffington Post or the Daily Kos) and on the right (such as Townhall or Fox News Channel contributor Michelle Malkin).

On Election Day, the best bets for getting up-to-the-minute results online are news web sites and Internet portals (such as Yahoo and Google). You can also bet there will be plenty of analysis and opinion written on a variety of sites once the votes are tallied.

Step No. 4: Educate your kids
Research shows that a personal touch works best in encouraging people to vote in elections. “Whether it’s a friend or family member, it can be a good time to tell them ‘This is why I think it’s important, and this is why I’m voting for this candidate,’” says Maggie Duncan, communications and online outreach manager for the League of Women Voters.

Fortunately, there are some web sites designed for children and teens to help educate them about the issues, the electoral process and the responsibility of voting. The league has partnered with a nonprofit site called TakeYourKids2Vote, which has quizzes (such as, “In what month is the U.S. presidential Election Day?”), and fun facts (such as, “Congress designated the first Tuesday in November for Election Day back in 1845 because most Americans were farmers then and by that time most of the crops were in.”). Scholastic has another good guide for parents to teach their kids about the election, complete with online activities, such as “If You Were President,” an interactive quiz asking your child how they would get the job done if they occupied the White House.

“It’s a fantastic example to set for your kids,” Duncan says. “Studies show that you’re more likely to vote if your parents voted.”