How do you prepare for voting in elections?

SrA Marc Haynes — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 08:58:03 -0400

There are numerous political ads on television prior to elections. How do you get the information that guides you who to vote for in the election? Do you vote along party lines?

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2014 9:04 AM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:04:15 -0400

That's a good question, SrA Marc Haynes, because for the most part you can't believe a lot of what you see in those political ads. And I mean that about just about all political ads. I think they're wasting their money on those ads, but there must be some who will believe the sensationalist nonsense and vote based on what's in the ads. (I'm primarily talking about attack ads here, which seem to make up the majority of political ads.)

I go to Fox News for my information on how to vote! (Just kidding) But I do go to the web and see how candidates feel about - and how they have voted on - issues that are important to me. And then I vote. In fact, this is a timely post for me, because I'm voting early today!

Response by SPC James Mcneil made Oct 27 at 2014 9:13 AM

SPC James Mcneil — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:13:00 -0400

First thing in an election, I decide on the issues that are most important to me. Second, on those issues, I study the candidates. And when I say study, I mean study. Do their actions measure up against their words? If not, I always go with the actions.

When political ads start around here (literally when the commercial starts), I hit mute and I don't turn the sound back on until the commercials are over and the show is back on. Political ads are no different than any other ads. Their goal is to sell a product, service, or person. Truth is not the agenda, votes are. So I ignore them.

I will say that I am very happy with how long I went this year before seeing negative campaigns. But once I saw the first one, I felt so dirty.

One thing I refuse to do is vote along party lines. IMHO, party lines really mean nothing any more.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Oct 27 at 2014 9:24 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:24:18 -0400

Political ads are no different than any other type of ad, they tell you what 1) what they think you want to hear, and 2) what they want you to know, so they must all be taken with a grain of salt. The only way to be a truly informed voter is to research (through as many different sources as possible) the candidates and their positions on the issues you find important. It IS work, but it beats voting straight party lines or worse yet, not voting at all!

Response by SFC Melker Johansson made Oct 27 at 2014 10:03 AM

SFC Melker Johansson — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 10:03:13 -0400

I ignore all political ads on TV. I'm a grown up and can obtain my own information from more reliable sources. I do tend to vote along party lines if I don't care enough to find out anything about the specific candidates.

Response by MSG Reid Zohfeld made Nov 12 at 2014 11:34 AM

MSG Reid Zohfeld — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:34:33 -0500

Preparing to Vote is like preparing for a PT test, it is a continuous proccess. It someone just starts looking at the issues just months out of a election they are most likely a uninformed voter!
Ones that pay attention to whats happening around them and the world have a better understanding of the issues. Political Ads should have little or no bearing on how you vote!

Response by SN Trevor Sanchez made Apr 30 at 2015 7:00 AM

SN Trevor Sanchez — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 07:00:31 -0400

I obtain the voters pamphlet, then research everyone who is running for office. I check their "Facebook" pages to see what kinds of groups they are a member of, and check out their family members political "bent". The birds of a feather thing. I check their NRA rating, whether they have been Military, That's important one for me". I ask my friends and talk to people I know that have an opposite political outlook than I do. If they get my vote, then they have earned it. I don't give it away because of the colour of their skin or their gender. They have to earn that vote from me. Today, people no longer have a need to go to the polls to vote. I mail mine from home. There is no excuse in this internet connected world to not vote. People can sign up to vote when receiving their drivers license, paying county taxes, getting permits etc. Pure laziness is all that it is. Laziness to not do research, laziness to not fill out a voter card in the 700 days between elections (we don't need to take voter registrations on election day. All that does is give a none registered voter a counted vote because the majority of voting precincts have no way to check to see if that person is legitimate. It takes many weeks to check the citizenship of each voter, and it is done by volunteers and by hand.) and obtaining a registration card is so simple to do. They will even mail you one if you phone them and request it. It took two months to certify the Florida election between Bush and Gore in 2000 because of the thousands of illegitimate votes that were cast when Bush won his second term. In the end, Bush won by only 537 votes out of 6 Million cast. Don't ever say your vote doesn't count. Research, research, and more research, ask family members, ask police officers you personally know, ask friends, but in the end. Vote the way YOU want to see the country go.