Policlicks 101 – Election Resources and the Web, by Rena Silverman

The openness of the internet is what makes it a great election-year resource for voters: no matter what kind of information for which you are looking, there’s a good chance you’ll land quickly upon it. But the internet’s wide-open culture also makes it a place where political scam artists and special interests can seek to influence your vote. A few things to keep in mind:

• Determine the source of information! Who is writing this? Anyone legit? An individual trying to gain support for candidate over the other? Is it a satire? etc.
• Some Web sites thrive on rumor and innuendo, others publish blatantly false stories about candidate’s views and backgrounds to serve their own political interests.
• During campaigns, some people set up sites that mimic the sites of candidates so they can provide false or misleading information or satirize the candidate.

The Bottom line: Web Surfers Beware…

Nevertheless there are plenty of trustworthy people in the world.

Here is a detailed list of good political sites on the Web:

Vote411.org: The League of Women Voters’ nonpartisan resource for election and voting information through vote411.org citizens can find such items as voter reg and absentee ballot rules, early voting provisions, ID requirements, candidate information, a national polling place locater and more.

Cspan’s 2008 Vote Web page. Offers video of candidate events and links to candidates official Web sites: Click on “American Politics/Road to the White House.

Federal Election Commission. The Official site of the government agency that regulates campaign finances. Information on campaign contributions to candidates. You may want to check out the “Press Office” section, since the site can be a little difficult to navigate.

Grolier Online: The American Presidency. Offers age-appropriate information for children and teens on American Presidency, the Electoral College and historical information related to the Executive Branch.

PollingReport.Com. Nonpartisan site that offers updated and archived opinion polling on elections and public policy.

Democratic National Committee. Official Democratic Party site that offers critical views of Republican candidates and positions as well as information on the convention and party platform rules.

Republican National Committee. Official Republican Party site that offers Republican views on Democratic candidates, information on the upcoming convention and party platform rules.

FactCheck.org. Nonpartisan Web site that checks the accuracy of political ads and allegations. Sponsored by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

by Rena Silverman

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