Voting on Nov. 8? Here are sources that can help, curated by yours truly.
The midterm elections take place on Nov. 8, and most voters still have questions about candidates, issues and even where to go to vote. Voting has become even more complex as many states have enacted new laws around elections and voting.
Resources such as the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, make it easier for residents of states to view election laws enacted in 2022.
National nonprofit sites such as vote.org parse data by state, allowing people in Michigan, for instance, to view elections data specific to that state. There’s even a tool that allows voters to view where and how to vote, organized by state.
For details about what is on a ballot, one resource that is established as trustworthy is Vote411.org. The site, a longtime public resource provided by the League of Women Voters, aggregates information specific to a voter’s address, allowing a person to see the ballot they will see on Election Day (Here’s an example using my own address in Farmington HIlls). It allows you to verify whether you are registered to vote, and where your polling location is. And most helpful is the candidate profiles, provided by the candidates themselves.
National news sites such as the New York Times and Washington Post have extensive election sections that provide context for local and national races as well as their potential overall impact by state and as a country.
Here’s an example of aggregation
Some resources that may help prepare you for Election Day on Nov. 8, 2022, if you live in Farmington Hills, Mich.
Farmington Hills election site: The best place to find a ballot specific to your community is at your local community’s government website. Every city, township and county has an elections area, with specifics on your ballot, your polling place and absentee ballots. Here’s what the Farmington Hills site looks like.
Regional and statewide news sources: Trusted regional and state sources for Michigan elections include The Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, MLive and Bridge Michigan. Local and other regional publications can also be good sources.
Vote411.org: This resource is national, compiled by the League of Women Voters, but is granular in providing candidate profiles and voter-specific information based on entering a street address.
