Resources you need to make informed decisions at in the voting booth.
The argument has often been made that since more Americans have the "day off" on Saturday than on Tuesdays, holding presidential elections on Saturday would allow and encourage more people to vote. Is that right, or would holding elections on Saturdays simply create a different set of excuses for not voting?
Several things can be done -- accidentally or intentionally -- in designing ballots to actually influence the outcome of elections, disenfranchise certain groups of voters or both.
Find out why all federal elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Where do the presumed candidates in the 2008 presidential election, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), stand on campaign finance reform? Predictably, in much the same place.
While more difficult than sending them a letter, visiting your Members of Congress, or their staff, face-to-face is the most effective way to actually influence them. Individuals and groups can arrange personal meetings with Senators and Representatives either in their Washington offices, or in their local offices at various times during the year. Where ever you arrange to meet with your elected officials, there are some important tips you need to know.
You've registered to vote, studied the candidates and issues, and finally decided how you want to vote. So here it is, election day, and you still have some questions about the basic act of exercising your right to vote. What happens at the polls? What if you make a mistake? How will your vote be counted, and why do so many people fail to vote? Get the answers to these and more election day questions.
In most places, you must register before you can vote. What is voter registration, how do you register to vote, and why is it important that you keep your voter registration current? Learn more about voter registration.
Congressional elections are held every two years. Coming halfway through a president's four year term in office, the congressional elections are also called "mid-term" elections. Learn more about the mid-term congressional elections.
Do political campaigns change minds? Rarely, according to the National Annenberg Election survey, which showed that very few American voters changed their minds during the 2004 presidential campaign.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) has announced that she will introduce legislation to abolish the Electoral College system and provide for direct popular election of the President and Vice President when the Senate convenes for the 109th Congress in January.
Data released by the Pew Charitable Trust shows that the turnout rate of 18-24 year old voters in the 2004 presidential election rose by 5.8 percent, as 1.8 million more people in this age group voted than in 2000.
President Bush today announced his nomination of White House legal counsel Alberto Gonzales to replace John Ashcroft as Attorney General in his second-term Cabinet. If confirmed by the Senate, Gonzales would become the first Hispanic to serve as Attorney General.
People ask lots of questions about the U.S. Constitution, most of them starting with, "What if...?" Here's a good one: "What if... the Electoral College vote is a tie?" What if the 538 Electors sit down after the election and vote to a 269 to 269 tie?
After the last voter has left the polling place, how do they count all those votes and how do they make sure the votes are counted accurately and fairly?
When voters walk into a busy polling place on election day, they see a vast array of people, most of them rushing around, doing lots of different things. Who are these people and what is their function in the election?
With all the different types of voting machines now in use across the United States, voters often make mistakes while voting. What happens if you change your mind while voting, or you accidentally vote for the wrong candidate?
Clearly, the main thing to do on election day is vote. Unfortunately, voting can often be a confusing process. Here is a brief guide designed to answer some common election day questions. Where do you vote? When do you vote? What should you bring to the polls? What are your rights as a voter?
Why do so many qualified Americans choose not to vote? Let's ask them. The California Voter Foundation (CVF) has released the results of a statewide survey on the attitudes of infrequent voters and citizens eligible to vote but not registered. The first-of-its-kind survey sheds new light on the incentives and barriers to voting, along with the sources of information that influence people when they do vote.
Even as the daily polls waffle from Bush to Kerry and back, it appears the 2004 presidential election will come down to the winning, or losing, of a mere 99 electoral votes in only eight states.
With the 2004 presidential elections just weeks away, there are unprecedented efforts to turn out young voters and indications that they are paying closer attention to the campaigns than they have in years. But who are these young voters? What’s different this election year? What do they care about? Whom are they supporting? What are the trends related to young voters?
Millions of viewers watched last night's Presidential debate. Among those paying particularly close attention to the first Bush vs. Kerry showdown were five teen reporters who were selected by Weekly Reader, the renowned 102-year-old student publication.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has filed two similar complaints for disciplinary action against Federal employees for sending politically partisan electronic mail messages while on duty, in violation of the Hatch Act.
Love them or hate them, PACs have become an important and influential part of U.S. politics. What kind of PACs are there and what rules must they follow
What do U.S. public school teachers want to hear from the presidential candidates? Mainly, that sweeping changes will be made to provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.
We know the Bush campaign leads the Kerry camp in campaign contributions from industrial sectors, but what about contributions from individuals who feel strongly about certain social issues, like abortion, gun control, and women's issues? Here are the figures through July 5.
2004 Presidential campaign contributions to George W. Bush (R) and John Kerry (D) by industrial sector.
The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) has released a preliminary list of primetime speakers for the 2004 Democratic National Convention, held July 26-29 in Boston. The following speakers -- listed alphabetically by day -- will all address the Convention between 7 pm and 11 pm:
The Bush and Kerry campaigns raised an all-time high $414 million during the primaries, much of it through more than 1,000 corporate executives, lawyers, lobbyists and other wealthy special interests who employ "bundling," or combining large number of individual contributions for the candidate of their choice.
Getting all excited about the presidential elections? Well, consider this: new research suggests that the U.S. may never have rebelled against Mother England in 1776 if King George III could have been treated for a blood-related mental disorder.
In a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), political interest group MoveOn.org claims that Fox News Channel's (FNC) use of the phrase "Fair and Balanced" represents false and deceptive advertising, because the network presents programming that is "deliberately and consistently distorted and twisted to promote the Republican Party of the U.S. and an extreme rightwing viewpoint."
Married persons are more likely to be supportive of President Bush and Republicans than singles, according to the National Annenberg Election survey. According to the survey, people who do not live with a spouse are considerably more liberal and critical of Bush than are married Americans.
Political fundraising for the 2004 presidential election is running some 62 percent ahead of the 2000 race through the end of may, according to the Campaign Funding Institute (CFI).
Although the presidential nominations have largely been settled during the primary/caucus cycle in recent elections, the national party conventions continue to be an important part of the American political system. As you watch the convention this year, here's what's happing on each of the four days.
They won't win, but they could decide who does. Links to the Websites of several third party presidential candidates.
And now begins the political courting of the "persuadables" - the 11 percent of American voters who still don't know which, if either, presidential candidate they will vote for in November. The persuadables are, of course the real target of any political campaign, and in 2004, the persuadables are more critical of the economy and the situation in Iraq and less impressed with either George W. Bush or John Kerry than the electorate generally.
Not finding much suspense in this year's major political party conventions? Well, politics isn't always a party. Thanks largely to the modern state primary election system, major party conventions have become about as exciting as watching the Electoral College vote.
It wasn't always like this. Take the 1860 conventions, for example.
To the surprise of just about nobody, the 2004 presidential election fundraising effort appears to be well on the way to setting new records.
Every fourth November, after almost two years of campaign hype and money, over 90 million Americans for the presidential candidates. Then, in the middle of December, the president and vice president of the United States are really elected by the votes of only 538 citizens -- the "electors" of the Electoral College.
Are you thinking about contributing money to the campaign of a presidential candidate? If you do, you will be far from alone. If you do contribute to a candidate, you should know that the Federal Campaign Finance Law places legal limits on how much and what you can give. Find out what those limits are right here...
Resources for making informed decisions before you pull the lever.
Links to residency requirements and deadlines for voter registration in each state.
Whether their candidates win or not, America's third political parties are important and here's why.
Every four years, along come -- Primaries, Caucuses, Delegates and Conventions -- the U.S. presidential election. How do these key processes of American democracy work? How are our presidential candidates chosen? Read the basics here.
America’s Founding Fathers had valid reasons for taking unlimited power to elect the president out of the people’s hands with the Electoral College. Find out what those reasons were and why they remain just as valid today as they were in 1787. From your About Guide.
When are your state’s presidential primaries or caucuses? When is your state’s deadline to register to vote? Who are your state’s Electors in the Electoral College? Learn the answers to these and more election-related questions at your state’s elections office.
Here come the presidential primaries. How many times do we have to vote for president, anyway? Why can't we just go to the polls once in November and be done with it? What's so important about the primaries?
Of course, every day is a good day to exercise our freedom, but why do we always vote on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November?
As a fitting tribute to the sailors who died on the USS Cole, how about contributing tothe best voter turnout in American history on November 7th?
By November of 1999 the twelve top candidates for President 2000 had raised over $144 million. Find out how much you can legally contribute to the candidate of your choice.
Why do we have two chambers in Congress, the House and Senate? Since members of both are elected by, and represent the people, wouldn't the lawmaking process be more efficient if bills were considered by only one body? From your About Guide.
