Election Year How-To Checklist, by Cheryl Todd

Gun Freedom Radio’s Co-Host, Cheryl Todd, writes a regular monthly article under “The Flame” on Women’s Outdoor News (WON). The following blog article titled Election Year How-To Checklist: Are You An Informed Voter is her latest submission.

Here is your Election Year How-to Checklist for Voting

#1) Get Informed

#2) Get Registered

#3) Find Out Which Candidates You Align With

#4) Talk To Trusted And Knowledgeable People: Compare Notes

#5) Make It A Family Matter

#6) VOTE

Six Easy Steps To Making An Informed Vote

In six quick and easy steps you can be an informed voter! One of the most precious Rights we have in the United States is the ability to affect change at the Ballot Box! Sometimes the fervor of an Election Season can become overwhelming and cause people to feel lost in how to sort out the details of how to vote and for whom to vote. Never fear, help is here!

#1) Get Informed

This is the first and most important step! You will want to gather information from a variety of sources so that you gain a well-rounded opinion about the candidates and the issues of each voting season. The Internet is an excellent place to go for news and insights, but it can also be a rabbit-hole of never-ending and conflicting stories. Here are a few tips for your research sessions:

1. Keep each session brief. Fifteen minutes at a time is enough to give you some food for thought.
2. Try to find two articles per research session: one from a “Pro” source and one from an “Anti” source. (Hint: Always read each websites’ “About Us” page to look for signs of possible bias in their writing.)
3. Always employ Critical Thinking strategies as you read
4. Look for signs of Intellectual Honesty in the content of each article

Uncle Sam Wants YOU to VOTE!

#2) Get Registered

This is the second and most important step! In order to be eligible to vote in each election you will need to have a valid Voter Registration. If you have recently moved, or are a member of the Armed Services, you will need to be sure you have registered within the time limits imposed by each election cycle.

1. There are on-line sources to help you get registered. (Hint: be sure you trust the site you are using and that the site has a Security Certificate – you can glance at the browser window and look for https:// – the “s” indicates that you are on a secure site)
2. Know any specific State Requirements well in advance of voting day.
3. Many people register to vote at the Department Of Motor Vehicles (DMV) when they obtain or renew their driver’s license.
4. Even if you are certain you are eligible to vote it is a good idea to always check your Eligibility To Vote early in any election cycle. (Hint: If you are registered as any party other than Republican or Democrat you will want to check with your State Officials for your eligibility to vote in Presidential Primaries).
5. The office of Secretary Of State at the State level is in charge of elections, and is a great source of information about the specifics of your city and state.

#3) Find Out Which Candidates you Align With

Gun Vote: Don’t Risk Your Rights

This is the third and most important step! (Are you starting to see a theme here?)  While we live in the United States, which was designed by our Founding Fathers to be “of the People, for the People, and by the People”, and in an ideal world our representatives’ personal opinions would not factor in to representing the will of their constituents, it is important in this imperfect world to know how your candidates’ have previously voted on any given issue.

1. Check on-line for resources to aid in determining how to judge candidates in general.
2. Be aware that different on-line resources use dissimilar criteria and not all of them score every candidate, but previous voting records are very helpful in judging the candidates and understanding who you are voting for.
3. There are survey-style sites which allow you to answer a variety of questions to be electronically and statistically “matched” with specific candidates. (Hint: Be sure to read each websites’ “About Us” page to look for signs of possible bias in their writing – a red flag to look for who provides funding for the website.)
4. As Election Day gets closer check back in with these types of sites to see if your opinions have changed, or if new information about specific candidates have changed over time.

#4) Talk To Trusted And Knowledgeable People: Compare Notes

This is the fourth and most important step! Talking over issues with people whose opinion you respect and value is vital to weighing out each topic. Choose a friend or family member with whom you can respectfully disagree – challenge your own beliefs and opinions….(READ MORE AT Womens Outdoor News…)