This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: July 28, 2008 - For whom are you voting?
The Missouri state primaries are Tues., Aug. 5. In case you've been too busy to keep track of all the candidates, here's a guide to election resources. The Beacon has compiled a group of websites that may help you make an informed decision in the voting booth. Check back, since this list is always growing.
The Missouri secretary of state's website could be your first stop in learning about local candidates. This government site lists the candidates by office, candidate filing information, and filed and withdrawn candidates. See specifically the 2008 certified candidate list. The comprehensive list provides bare-bone facts about the candidates, but does not delve into issues and platforms. The site additionally provides voter information and guidelines. The office will also make results available. USelections.com also has a list of the contenders in each race and links to their homepages.
New: Channel 8/KOMU in Columbia has a nonpartisan guide to the election, which outlines the contenders in the top state races. The site uses a multimedia presentation to display graphically the candidates of each contest.
The site for the state Democratic Party has no central page for candidates, but perusing the site offers a sampling of election news. The Republican Party website has a list of Republican candidates and links to their campaigns.
The League of Women Voters offers its nonpartisan Smart Voter page with a cumulative directory of contests. If you enter your address, Smart Voter displays a sample ballot. On the ballot, some candidates' names link to pages that include information about themselves, their party affiliations and priorities. This is a balanced and informative site.
Fired Up Missouriis a partisan Democratic website associated with former Sen. Jean Carnahan and Democratic operative Roy Temple. While Fired Up does not explain candidates' platforms, it features a roundup of election ads, news, polls and bloggish entries about local candidates. The Republican equivalent is Missouri Pulse, which also covers news, buzz and rumors and is associated with John Hancock.
The pro-life group Missouri Right to Life provides endorsements and scorecards for candidates and officeholders. On the other side, NARAL Pro Choice Missouri also makes political endorsements.
The business-oriented Missouri Chamber of Commerce's website has a page devoted to elections, which includes candidates' biographies and position papers. The national AFL-CIO website has some Missouri electoral endorsements and some candidates' voting records.
Joy Resmovits is an intern for the Beacon.