How I vote

My mother used to vote a straight Republican ticket.  If they had an “R” next to their name, she selected them as her candidate.  My voting process is not so straight forward, which makes it more challenging and requires more thought.  Although I do tend to vote a fairly aligned conservative/republican ballot, my decisions involve many factors:

Party Preference

Yes, I’ll admit it’s the first thing I look at.  No, it isn’t the deciding factor, but it’s either one point for or one point against. 

Candidate Statement

I read these, usually several times.  I HATE when there’s no statement.  I think it ought to be a requirement than when you run for office you put in some kind of statement.  As I don’t know each of the candidates personally, how am I supposed to know who they are without a statement?

Business/Office Experience

Has the candidate been doing this same office for a number of years?  We need a change.  I usually vote for the one that hasn’t been doing the same position for a number of years.  The only exception to this is judges. 

Endorsements

This usually is the “closer” for me.  Based on my personal beliefs, experiences and choices, I usually find a point or an organization that helps me choose where the candidates priorities lie.  It’s a pretty good tell for me how the candidate is going to support (or not) my interests.

In the end, if I just can’t decide, I just mark the one that most closely aligns with my beliefs.  Yes, I have voted for a party other than my own; and I usually pay for that decision in the end (Maria Cantwell comes to mind…).

Voting isn’t easy – it shouldn’t be.  It means we need to stay informed on the issues, vote with our hearts and yes, pray about the candidates.  Voting means we need to take the time to listen to all side of the news, investigate a bit on the candidates and the initiatives, and read between the lines sometimes.

Vote because you have the privilege to voice your opinion.  Vote because you don't like how things are going (or you do).  Vote because you can.  But get out there and VOTE!