HOW TO CHOOSE A CANDIDATE
How should I decide who to vote for?
Choosing a candidate is an overwhelming process. Transparency in Politics seeks to simplify the process by providing candidates with the TIP Certification Seal, indicating that they have undergone a background check for criminal record, resume, military history, and professional licensing.
Voting by party is a simple way to narrow candidates based on your general political preferences.
Voters should be empowered to look beyond party preference and think critically about who they choose to support.
Belonging to a specific party does not indicate whether a candidate or elected official exhibits qualities of character, leadership, and integrity. Voters should make decisions based on a verified set of facts rather than news from social media or slanderous allegations.
Party affiliation is often too general of a criteria to determine who you decide to vote for.
When you apply for a job, the employer doesn’t assess one aspect of your experience and personality, they assess everything – this should go the same for elected officials.
While this feels like a no brainer, qualifications to run for office don’t reach as far as those for a typical retail job. Walmart employees are more qualified than elected officials with no background check, meaning any power seekers with no-so-flattering goals can take a position in government.
You can do your part to change this pattern for the better by asking yourself a few simple questions:
- Which candidate’s views on the issues do I agree with the most?
- Which candidate has the leadership qualities I am looking for?
- Which candidate ran the fairest campaign?
- Which candidate demonstrated the most knowledge on the issues I care about?
Answering these questions will provide you more guidance to narrow your search.
After you determine your list of candidates, reference TIP’s Certified Candidates page to view whether individuals in your selection have undergone verified background checks. Looking for the TIP seal on a candidate’s campaign advertisements is a quick and easy way to determine their reliability.
An entertaining and reliable way to determine where you lie on the political spectrum to get a better understanding of your values is this free Political Typology Quiz by Pew Research. You can determine your general values outside of the polarized influence of democrat or republican.
You can also check out our Additional Resources page to find more details on judging candidates. This page has information on
- General Voting Resources
- Details on Campaign Donations and Lobbying
- Evaluating Information on Candidates
- Free Nonpartisan Website Resources
