With early voting underway for the November 6 election, it is common for voters to think they don’t know anything about the candidates or who to vote for. For individuals that are unsure of who they will be voting for or are still researching their options, Ballot Ready is just one available online tool for voter research. BallotReady provides quick access to candidate information which includes their experience and position on issues that are important to you.
At BallotReady.org, enter your address and click Get Started to see a list of races and candidates that will appear on your ballot this November. On-campus students can find the residence hall physical address on the Redbird Voter Guide. With this mobile-friendly website, you can review the candidate’s profile for each race and then add them to your sample ballot online. A unique feature with BallotReady is the ability to print the sample ballot or text it to yourself and use it as a guide when you vote at your polling location during early voting or on election day.
All students, faculty, and staff who vote in the Bone Student Center this election will receive an ISU Votes sticker, while supplies last.
Another common excuse is “my one vote won’t matter”. That’s simply not true. In the spring 2017 town of Normal mayoral race, Mayor Koos won the election by just seven votes. This midterm election, a national spotlight has been placed on Illinois 13 where incumbent Rodney Davis faces reelection by Democratic challenger Betsy Dirksen-Londrigan. Illinois 13 is among 30 House of Representative races that can determine which political party will hold the majority in Congress. With over 20,000 enrolled students and close to 3,000 students living in Watterson Towers alone, if every eligible person voted, students have the power to make major impacts on elections locally and nationally.
Here are some additional resources available to voters:
Full list of Illinois candidates
Full list of McLean County candidates
WGLT and League of Women Voters of McLean County Voter’s Guide
American Democracy Project at Illinois State encourages all students, faculty, and staff to be informed citizens and exercise their right to vote. For more information about early voting, polling locations and election details visit IllinoisState.edu/Vote. Questions about voting can be directed to PoliticalEngagementProject@IllinoisState.edu.
