Prepare to vote: Register, then get informed
Register
If you don’t register, you don’t vote. There’s still time – here’s how to do it.
Washington residents: Pick up a registration form at the Spokane County Elections Office (1033 W. Gardner Ave.) or get one online (spokanecounty.org/elections/Default.aspx). You can register by mail or in person until Oct. 2; after that, you can still sign up for the election, but you must do so in person at the elections office, no later than Oct. 18. Questions? Call the Spokane County Elections Office: (509) 477-2320.
In Whitman County: (509) 397-6270
In Ferry County: (509) 775-5200
In Stevens County: (509) 684-7514
In Pend Oreille County: (509) 447-3185.
Web links
The Internet offers a wide variety of places to find out more about candidates and races. Virtually every candidate has a site, though they vary greatly in how much concrete, specific information they contain. To find them, just search for candidates’ names.
In addition, though, there are many nonpartisan organizations devoted to specific comparison of candidates and issues. Here is a roundup of some of the best.
Election Central. The Spokesman-Review’s online resource for the campaign season. It includes quizzes on issues that allow you to match your views with the candidates, details on background and positions on all major candidates, and an experiment in citizen election blogging called Searching for Democracy. www.spokesmanreview.com
Washington Secretary of State’s elections page. Information on voter registration, an elections calendar, campaign financing and elections laws. www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/
Spokane County elections page. Information on candidates and ballot issues, online voter registration, elections calendar, past election results. Has search engine allowing voters to find their polling place by typing in their address. www.spokanecounty.org/elections/
Idaho Secretary of State’s elections page. www.idsos.state.id.us/elect/eleindex.htm
The Center for Responsive Politics. Billed as “Your Guide to the Money in U.S. Elections,” this site includes fund-raising disclosures in campaigns for president and Congress, as well as other issues. www.opensecrets.org/
Project Vote Smart. Nonprofit site covers candidates and elected officials in five basic categories: biographical information, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances and interest group ratings. www.vote-smart.org
Public Agenda. Nonprofit site focuses on research on public policy issues, and provides unusual “Choicework” exercises that allow users to work through difficult issues. www.publicagenda.org/aboutpa/aboutpa.cfm
On the Issues. Nonprofit group’s Web site includes state and federal candidates’ positions on a wide range of issues, along with quotations and other background. www.issues2002.org/default.htm
Rock the Vote. Youth-oriented site, particularly emphasizing free speech and artistic freedom. www.rockthevote.org/