Making Informed Voting Decisions

Being an informed voter is just as important as voting itself. Not sure how to mark your ballot? As a non-partisan center, the MCCE will never tell you how to vote - but we do have lots of tools to help you make the decisions that are right for you.

  • Forest Grove and Oregon Resources from the McCall Center for Civic Engagement
  • ALL IN to Vote: For information on voter registration, making a plan to vote, researching your ballot, becoming a poll worker, and more.
  • ActiVote: The ALL IN with ActiVote platform is a free personal democracy experience that is completely tailored to the local community in which you vote. Find details on your upcoming elections and sign up for reminders to ensure you never miss a primary or local election going forward! ALL IN with ActiVote gamifies the process of preparing your ballot to ensure you confidently vote in every election.
  • BallotReady: A tool to research your ballot, find your polling place, receive reminders to vote, and other tools and nudges to encourage informed participation.
  • Ballotpedia: A tool to research candidates and your ballot.
  • Ballotpedia’s Same Day Voter Registration Information: Information on which states offer Election Day Registration.
  • VoteSmart: For information on candidates’ and elected officials’ stances, speeches, and voting patterns.
  • VoteRiders: A database of identification (ID) requirements for voting either absentee or in-person.
  • Vote 411 Absentee Ballot Tool: Provides state-by-state information on the absentee ballot process

Dr. James Moore, the MCCE Director of Political Outreach, also has some specific tips for the process of voting on ballot measures vs. candidates. We asked him to break it down for us:

Dr. Moore, how do I decide how to vote on ballot measures?

Start with your Voters Pamphlet. A Voters Pamphlet will be delivered to all registered voters shortly before each election. The pamphlet is a great resource for ballot measures because it lists the text of the law that will be changed and the financial impact. Of lesser value are the paid arguments & endorsements. When considering these, look for quality over quantity - an endorsement from a group or official you trust is worth more than an entire list of unknown endorsers.

Note: If you are staying in University Housing, voters pamphlets can be picked up at the Mail Room. Oregon Voter Pamphlet are also available online and voter guides and resources for understanding what's on your ballot can be found for all 50 states at Vote.gov.  

Okay, How do I decide what candidates to vote for?

Here the Voters Pamphlet is less useful, because the content is crafted by the candidates themselves (much like their websites and press releases). Get the most out of these descriptions by comparing how the candidates present themselves and if their listed concerns match up with your own interests. But to dig deeper you will need to review media coverage in statewide and local papers. Don’t trust everything you read on social media - elections bring out strong opinions and fraud, so in this case traditional media is worth your time. Also, consider watching a debate or two. Debates offer a unique view of candidates’ temperament and opinions. For example, in 2018 the three candidates for governor in Oregon participated in the Debate for Oregon’s Future— where Oregon youth asked questions about topics that matter to our generation. The MCCE hosted a viewing party in the UC and will continue to host such viewing party for future elections.

Also - I am a teacher. As I talk with my students, I tell them that the main thing I look for in candidates is if they can learn.

Any other thoughts on how to prepare for an election?

Pacific students in the Spring 2019 "Video for Civic Engagement" class have a few idea:

Registering to Vote

The first step toward making your voice heard is to get registered— an easy process completed online and with lots of flexibility built-in for college students.

Read more
Casting a Ballot

Pacific University - Pacific Votes - Casting a Ballot - Mailing Your Ballot in Oregon - Dropping it Off

Read more