Whether this is your first election or your twentieth, it can be difficult to dig through the fluff on your ballot to vote in a way that reflects your values. Voting is a civic duty and, for the average citizen, the easiest way to influence what happens on a national, state, and local level. To vote, you will need to do several things:
The deadline to register to vote is 15 days before the election, so check early!
All active registered voters in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. While you're waiting, read up on the different candidates and propositions. You can ignore most of the spam you get in the mail - look for unbiased websites or news articles that discuss pros and cons without resorting to sensationalism.
Once you receive your ballot, fill out the ovals that best reflect your values. Mail your ballot or bring it in to the polling station listed on your ballot. If you'd like, sign up for Ballottrax to make sure your vote has been counted!
The Politics of Voter Suppression: Defending and Expanding Americans' Right to Vote by
Wang argues that activities that suppress voting are almost always illegitimate, while reforms that increase participation are nearly always legitimate. In short, use and abuse of election laws and policies to suppress votes has obvious detrimental impacts on democracy itself. Such activities are also harmful because of their direct impacts on actual election outcomes. Wang regards as beneficial any legal effort to increase the number of Americans involved in the electoral system.
Campaign Talk: Why Elections Are Good for Us by
Campaigns inform us about issues, sensitize us to the concerns of others, and either encourage us to vote or at least heighten our sense of the political world.
Identity Politics in the United States by
"Identity Politics in the United States will be an essential resource for students and engaged citizens who want to understand the link between historical context, contemporary political challenges, and paths to move toward a stronger democracy."
The SAGE encyclopedia of political behavior by
Explores the intersection of psychology, political science, sociology, communications, and human behavior to better understand why and how people interact with political processes.
Chaotic Elections! : a mathematician looks at voting by
Saari's analysis shows that the fundamental problems with the 2000 presidential election are not with the courts, recounts, or defective ballots, but are caused by the very way Americans vote for president. This expository book shows how mathematics can help to identify and characterize a disturbingly large number of paradoxical situations that result from the choice of a voting procedure.
The Vanishing Voter by
Investigates why--despite a better educated citizenry, the end of racial barriers to voting, and simplified voter registration procedures--the percentage of voters has steadily decreased to the point that the United States now has nearly the lowest voting rate in the world. Patterson cites the blurring of differences between the political parties, the news media's negative bias, and flaws in the election system to explain this disturbing trend while suggesting specific reforms intended to bring Americans back to the polls.