VOTING 101 A GUIDE TO HELP YOU VOTE

Issue #

Voting 101
A Guide to Help
You Vote

March 2015
HELPING AMERICANS VOTE SINCE 2002

A total of 131,144,000
Americans voted in the 2012
Presidential election. Were you
one of them? If so, what kind of
voter do you think you are? Are
you the type who looks at all the
information a candidate has to
offer and weigh the pros and the
cons? Or are you the type of
person that just kind of goes with
the flow? Time Magazine put
together an article describing
different styles of voters. Ask
yourself if any of the following
describe you to find out what
type of voter you are.
The Rational Voter
You make sure to know all the
information about all the
candidates. You weigh the pros
and cons and evaluate them
against your personal interests.
Since youve thoroughly
researched both sides, you are
more likely to vote across party
lines.

The Passive Voter

IN THIS ISSUE

You

What Type of Voter Are You?

by

Milade Rivas

dont research the facts about

each of the candidates and just
look at their party affiliation. The
information you retain about the
candidate is just to reinforce
your existing beliefs. The passive
voter maintains mental
consistency. They dont really
look into or care about the
opposition.
The Frugal Voter
You only research the
candidates stand on topics
youre passionate about and
ignore everything else. These
people are often referred to as
single-issue voters, even if
they have multiple concerns.
The Intuitive Voter
You stop seeking information
once you come to a decision.
This is sometimes called lowinformation rationality but the
process seems to be almost
unconscious.

VOTING 101 A GUIDE TO HELP YOU VOTE | Issue #1

Before voting, one must know if they
are eligible. The requirements are:

Article Title

What Type of Vote Are You?

Page 1

Preparing to Vote

Page 2

How to Vote

Page 2

Political Candidate Profiles

Page 3

Why Vote?

Page 4

You must be a U.S. citizen

You must be a resident of the
state you are voting in (each
state has different residency
requirements, so make sure
that you meet them in
advance)
You cannot be currently serving
a prison term, be on parole, or
in another form of post-release
supervision
You must be 18 or older (some
states allow 17-year-olds who
will be 18 on election day to
vote. Check your states
requirements)

If you meet these requirements,

then you can proceed to registering
to vote. There are some states that
give you a form to register when you
apply for your drivers license, so
you might already be registered.
Visit canivote.org to figure out if you
are already registered. If you are not
yet registered, then there are four
main ways to do it. You can send in a
National Voter Registration From,
register in person, fill out an
absentee ballot, or in some states,

Preparing to Vote
by

Milade Rivas

Once you have made sure you are

registered and have educated
yourself on all of the candidates and

2
you can register online. Be sure to
be aware of your states deadline for
registration.
Registering in person is simple and
can be done at

The DMV
Election offices
Your states voter
registration office
The Armed Service
recruitment centers
Public assistance facilities
State-funded disabilities
centers

20 states allow online registration.

All you have to do is visit the Federal
Election Assistance Commission site
to find your states registration
forms.
To mail in your registration, simply
print, fill out, and mail in a National
Mail Voter Registration Form.
However, residents of Wyoming,
North Dakota, or the U.S. territories
cannot register this way.

follow any instructions you are

given. While you are there, obtain a
ballot. Be prepared for a wait; there

How to Vote
by

Milade Rivas

their stand on issues, you are ready

to vote!
Start by locating your polling place.
Once you know where it is, go and

will most likely be a line ahead of

you. So I suggest taking a book or an
iPod. Make sure to bring
identification. It is best to have a

VOTING 101 A GUIDE TO HELP YOU VOTE | Issue #1

picture ID like a drivers license or a
passport.
After that, you are ready to fill out
the ballot as you wish. Then you turn
your ballot in to the designated
person or, in some cases, feed it into
a machine. There are four types of
counting you may run into:

Optical Scan Paper Ballot

Systems. These make voting
similar to a multiple choice
test.
Direct Recording (DRE)
Systems. This is a
touchscreen computer that
records your vote.
Ballot Marketing Devices.
This is reserved for disabled
voters. It combines the first
two methods.
The Punch Card Ballot. This
version is not very popular
anymore. It lead to two
weeks of discrepancy.

Once you have finished, review your

ballot to make sure you cast your
vote correctly.

VOTING 101 A GUIDE TO HELP YOU VOTE | Issue #1

Jerry Gergich
Background

Born and raised in

Chicago, Illinois

Age 53

Married, with 3 daughters

Community Service

Graduated from Thornton

Fractional South High
School

Graduated from the

University of Pawnee
Indiana with a Masters of
Social Work

Work Experience

While attending college,

he worked at the Pawnee

Parks and Recreation

Department.

Worked for 20 years as a

licensed clinical social

Volunteer soccer coach

for the Pawnee Parks and
Recreation
Elected Mayor of the city
of Pawnee

Issue Positions

Education

Supports the 2nd

Amendment right to bear
arms, but would enact
background checks on all
gun purchases
including private party
and gun show sales and
would ban all clips that
hold more than 10
rounds.
Supporrts immigration
reform, but opposes any
amnesty for
undocumented persons.
Supports increased
federal spending to fund
mass-transit projects.

Donna Meagle
Community Service
Background

Born and raised in New

Jersey
Age 45

Graduated from
Allentown High School
Graduated from Duke
University with a
Masters in Sociology

Work Experience

worker in Pawnee

Married, with no children

Education

Worked at several
restaurants while
attending Duke
University
Founded and currently
directs the Essex County
Social Services Network

Elected member of the

Trenton City Council
Appointed member of
the Duke University
Board of Trustees

Issue Positions

Would cap interest rates

on student loans at 4%
and delay the start of
repayment until the loan
recipient has full-time
employment after
graduation
Supports the Patient
Protection and Affordable
Care Act
Would repeal all No Child
Left Behind federal
testing requirements,
and return assessment
authority to individual
states.

VOTING 101 A GUIDE TO HELP YOU VOTE | Issue #1

Why Should You Vote?

Voting lets you decide.

Why let others decide
when you have a
voice?
It is your right. Women
and underrepresented
groups all fought hard
for the right to vote.
To cancel out a vote of
someone you know
who might vote the
opposite of you
Representation does
it ever feel like
West
Jordan, Ut
politicians dont get
84084
you? Do you want
someone in office who
is willing to represent
your needs and
concerns? Then vote.
If you dont vote,
someone else will. Our
government was built

Voting
101

A Guide to

Help You
Vote

vote, other people will

be making the
decisions for you

Schools matter. Local

and state school board
members who set
public education
policies and budgets
are chosen by you
Some adults think,
Young people are
lazy, they dont care
about their
communities, they
dont vote. Bust the
stereotype and prove
them wrong!

Make the
effort to go