“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”
Thomas Jefferson
With all eyes on the presidential election, it’s easy to forget that there are a host of other offices on the ballot. While the federal government dominates the news, the average citizen is much more likely to interact with state and local government on a regular basis. Whether you’re renewing your driver’s license at the Department of Motor Vehicles, interacting with police or firefighters, checking out a book at your local library, going to school, or hiking at a state park, you are using a service administered by your state or city. The governor, state legislators, mayor, city councilors, board members, and commissioners make funding and policy decisions for these agencies and programs – not the president or Congress.
Despite this, candidates for state and local elections must contend with voter “roll-off,” in which people vote for candidates at the top of the ballot, but not the bottom. In a study that examined how state legislative candidates performed when compared to top-of-ticket races between 2012 – 2020, they were affected by roll-off in 84.28% of the races, receiving fewer votes than members of their own party at the top of the ballot (Sister District). This is worrisome not only because of the importance of state legislatures in the lives of average citizens, but also because nearly 50% of the members of Congress served in state legislatures (NCSL). State capitols serve as congressional training grounds for many politicians; it is critical the electorate fully uses their ballots to decide who is given the privilege to serve.
What should we be looking for in our candidates? In this divisive political climate, regardless of party, casting your ballot for office-seekers committed to fact-based, bipartisan oversight and legislating is essential at every level of government. Determining which candidates fit this mold requires research. Those who do may not be household names, because legislative investigations grounded in substantive evidence in which both sides reach consensus doesn’t always make headlines, even if they should.
However, researching your ballot doesn’t have to be daunting! There are some great resources available to help you decide which candidates deserve your vote, and we’ve added a couple suggestions of our own! Here are some simple ways to gather information about candidates running at every level so you can make an informed decision:
- Make sure you know the responsibilities of the office. Most of us are aware of what the president does, but what about your township trustees? While it might not sound as important, you probably feel the consequences of their decisions and actions more often than the president’s – especially if you need the fire department whose budget they often oversee! If you’re not sure of the office’s responsibilities, look it up before you decide which candidate is best for the job. For state and local offices, be sure to specify the jurisdiction since there can be variations.
- Research your ballot. You can visit Vote411.org, Ballotpedia.org, BallotReady.org, or Vote.org to view your ballot. Vote411 even sends questionnaires to candidates so you can read and compare their views on relevant issues. You can select the candidates you would like to vote for and print it out or send it to your phone or email for election day. Ballotpedia provides information on candidate’s background and, if they have held previous office, election results, endorsements, campaign finance data, decisions/votes while in office, campaign promises, and more. Here is an example from Ballotpedia of what some Levin Center employees will see at the August 6th Michigan primary:
- Look at a candidate’s website and social media. These will, of course, be biased in favor of the candidate, but they can help provide you with information about their views on issues. They can also offer insight into the candidate’s character and values – do they express a desire to work across the aisle, or place blame for all problems on the opposing party? Do they offer realistic solutions to problems, or promise results nobody could deliver? Are they addressing real concerns in your community, or are they using fearmongering language to inflame passions? While campaign media should not be the sole reason you decide to vote for a candidate, it may tell you what you need to know to not vote for them.
- Check that tweet. Many people get their news from social media, but there is a lot of misinformation out there – some of which comes from candidates themselves. Politifact is a nonpartisan resource that fact-checks social media posts by politicians, candidates, and media personalities. You can search by person, issue, or state. Voting for truthful candidates is a good place to start!
- Look to trustworthy organizations. If you’re involved with or donate to a local or state-level organization, ask if they are endorsing any candidates. Unions, non-profits, and professional associations often post a list on their website. Candidates also generally list any organizations that endorse them on their sites.
If you’re ready for advanced-level research (and we think you are), here are some suggestions for determining which state legislative candidates are likely to pursue bipartisan, fact-based oversight:
- See if they’re already doing bipartisan work. If the candidate is the incumbent, look at the bills they’ve sponsored and co-sponsored, and look at the other co-sponsors. Are they working with legislators of the other party often, or are all the bills they’ve introduced one-sided? You can find this on your state’s House or Senate website (if you can’t find it by searching, go to SOA’s State Legislature Oversight Wiki, find your state, and go to the Legislature page). You can search bills by sponsor and see the bill’s co-sponsors.
Note: Quantity doesn’t necessarily equal quality – don’t assume that just because a legislator has introduced a lot of bills, they deserve your vote. There are many other factors to consider that are not reflected by bills, including oversight activities.
You can also Google the legislator’s name and “bipartisan.” If they are working across the aisle, they usually want to make it known! You might find news articles or press releases touting bipartisan work.
- Check out their oversight work. Legislators generally have press releases on their websites, and if they’ve held any important oversight hearings or released investigative reports, you can find announcements there. You can also search for news using their name and “oversight” to see if they’ve been involved in any oversight investigations that have made the headlines. Look for instances where they requested reports from auditors or executive agencies, held hearings, monitored contracts, or examined appropriations or administrative rules – all important oversight functions of the legislature!
A couple other things to keep in mind as we look towards the election:
- Make sure you’re registered to vote and decide how and/or where you’ll do it! The National Association of Secretaries of State website features a page (appropriately named Can I Vote?) where you can register to vote, check your registration status, find your polling place, find information about absentee and early voting, and more for your state.
- Consider voting by mail! A recent study showed that absentee voters are more likely to vote for down-ballot candidates, with 32% of down-ballot voters reporting that they voted by mail, compared to 23% of roll-off voters (Sister District).
- Help those around you make a plan for election day! A 2008 study found that making a plan to vote increased voter turnout by 4.1% (Nickerson and Rogers)! Similarly, a study of young voters (ages 18 to 24) in 2016 found that “pledging to vote increased voter turnout by 3.7 points among all subjects and 5.6 points for people who had never voted before” (Costa, Schaffner, and Provost). People want to keep their promises!
- Thank your election officials. The job has gotten much more difficult in the last few years – and scarier. In a 2023 survey, 30% of local election officials said that they had “personally been abused, harassed, or threatened because of their job as a local election official” and 45% said they were concerned for their safety and the safety of their coworkers (Brennan Center). Remember when making your voting plan to provide ample time to vote in case you must wait in line, and don’t get frustrated. Your election officials are doing their best, and many of them are volunteering their time.
- Go a step further – become a poll worker! Many precincts are in desperate need of volunteers. The Election Assistance Commission can help you find out how to sign up in your state.
Researching your down-ballot candidates will take a little time, but it’s an incredibly important civic duty. Now that you’ve learned some tips, go find out which candidates you can trust to work across the aisle, rely on facts to build consensus and make decisions, and be transparent and accountable to the public. If you need more resources, feel free to contact the State Oversight Academy at levincenter@wayne.edu! We’re always happy to help.
