As a social worker and social work educator, I take the call to “political and social action” seriously. Early voting began today in my state (Tennessee) and will begin soon (if it hasn’t already) in other places. Here is a calendar for early voting by state if you want to check it out and share with others!
What I hear most frequently from newly turned 18 year olds, and sometimes from other ages too, is “I don’t know who to vote for” or “I don’t know all the things on the ballot.” The first step here is going to Ballotpedia’s sample ballot lookup. By putting in the address that matches your voter registration card, you can see what the sample ballot will look like before you enter the voting booth. Then, to learn about the candidates, you can look them, and their positions, up online and in some cases, you can also find local newspaper coverage that reports on candidate responses to survey/interview questions.
Another great resource is the League of Women Voters’ Vote411 site. You can click on your state and learn about your ballot, find your polling place and hours, see what ID might be required of you, information on absentee voting, and more.
Finally, here’s a short reel on the importance of down ballot voting. People running for school board, general sessions judge, property assessor and other positions are important for our daily lives and community health. Don’t skip out on voting for all the races!
