Election Info on the Web

sites have emerged to check the veracity of candidate statements: FactCheck: www.factcheck.org Politifact: www.politifact.com Media Matters (specializing in checking the press): www.mediamatters.org Snopes (see their Politics directory): http://www.snopes.com/politics/politics.asp What do the polls say? There are a variety of polls out there, each with their own methodologies.<br><br> It 9s often best to examine several, and look for consistencies between them. Here are some of the most well-known pollsters: Battleground (George Washington University): www.tarrance.com/bg.cfm Gallup: www.gallup.com/poll/election2008.aspx Rasmussen: www.rasmussenreports.com SurveyUSA: www.surveyusa.com/electionpolls.aspx Zogby: www.zogby.com If this seems like a lot of data to pore over, fear not! A few sites collect and analyze aggregate data from multiple polls: Electoral Vote: www.electoral-vote.com Five Thirty Eight: www.fivethirtyeight.com Pollster: www.pollster.com Real Clear Politics: www.realclearpolitics.com/polls Who 9s paying for all this?<br><br> Campaign disclosure laws require candidates to release information on all contributions over $200. Several websites have collected this publicly available information, making it possible to search by name or location. Congressional Quarterly 9s Moneyline: moneyline.cq.com FundRace (via the Huffington Post): www.fundrace.org Open Secrets: www.opensecrets.org There are also a few sites that collect contributor information for the state-level campaigns.<br><br> National Institute on Money in State Politics: www.followthemoney.org IL Campaign Disclosure Directory: www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosure/Welcome.aspx Who are the major online news sources? Most people think of major newspapers (New York Times, Chicago Tribune) or television networks (CBS, NBC, Fox News) when looking for stories online. But there are also a number of web-only venues for useful election news and analysis.<br><br> Here 9s a sampling: Congressional Quarterly: www.cqpolitics.com Real Clear Politics: www.realclearpolitics.com The Politico: www.thepolitico.com Talking Points Memo: www.talkingpointsmemo.com Another useful tool is this interactive map of newspaper endorsements: http://infochimps.org/static/gallery/politics/endorsements_map/endorsement_graph.html What if I want my information a bit more...partisan? Even more numerous than the news sites are the political blogs. These sites tend to take a very specific viewpoint, and may make use of less-than 100% accurate information.<br><br> That being said, they are typically open to user comments, and often spark lively (if occasionally profane) debate. They can be fun to read, but they should often be taken with a grain of salt. Where do I go for information on state races?<br><br> The local newspapers have created candidate guides, outlining the state legislative races. Chicago Tribune: z3.thevoterguide.org/a-chicagotribune08/index.do Daily Herald: www.dailyherald.com/news/politics/elections/2008/general/county/cook/ Pioneer Press: www.pioneerlocal.com/elections/index.html What about all these judges up for election? The area bar associations have assembled a number of useful voter guides.<br><br> www.voteforjudges.org What is the Illinois Constitutional Convention? Every 20 years, the public must vote on whether to reopen the Illinois State Constitution. Visit illinoisissues.uis.edu/features/2007dec/answers.html for more information.<br><br> Help! It 9s All Too Much! Visit www.skokievotes.info to see all this information at a glance!<br><br> Skokie Public Library Trustees: Diana Hunter, President/President Emerita; John Graham, Vice President; Dayle Zelenka, Secretary; Richard Basofin; Susan Greer; Zelda Rich; John M. Wozniak Director: Carolyn A. Anthony Left-leaning blogs: Daily Kos: www.dailykos.com Eschaton: www.eschatonblog.com Huffington Post: www.huffingtonpost.com Salon: www.salon.com Think Progress: www.thinkprogress.com Right-leaning blogs: The Corner: corner.nationalreview.com Free Republic: www.freerepublic.com Instapundit: www.instapundit.com Redstate: www.redstate.com Townhall: www.townhall.com<br><br>

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