USE VOTEEASY NOW: http://votesmart.org/voteeasy/#/state=ok
PROJECT VOTE SMART HEADQUARTERS (09/13/2012) — VoteEasy, the new candidate match tool designed for voters, and winner of “Best Picture” at the Webvisionary Awards, was launched for Oklahoma today.
This interactive tool found at www.votesmart.org enables citizens to instantly compare their views on the most central issues facing the nation to those of each presidential and Oklahoma congressional candidate, in order to see which candidate will best represent them if elected.
VoteEasy is powered by issue positions received directly from the candidates via the organization's 2012 Political Courage Test, or by issue position research investigated by Vote Smart staff using the candidates' public records.
“VoteEasy lets users take a look under the hood, so to speak,” said Darren McDivitt, Political Courage Test Director. “Users who question the tool as a credible source are encouraged to view our thoroughly-documented research for each of the candidates inferred issue positions, to which we only turn to if candidates are unwilling to provide this information themselves.”
Since 1996, Vote Smart has conducted the Political Courage Test, which has asked every presidential, congressional, gubernatorial and state legislative candidate in the country one question: “Are you willing to tell citizens your positions on the issues you will most likely face on their behalf?”
“As candidates now spend enormous sums of money to attack each other, ignore real issues, and torture facts, citizens must have the means to defend their right to the truth,” said Richard Kimball, President of Project Vote Smart. “That is the essential purpose of the new VoteEasy tool and of course Vote Smart’s Voter’s Self-Defense System.”
VoteEasy's congressional candidate information is currently being released state-by-state, and acts as an easy-to-use supplement to Vote Smart's Voter's Self-Defense System which includes the voting records, public statements, biographical information, campaign finances, interest group ratings, and more, on over 40,000 candidates and officials, all available at votesmart.org and through the toll-free Voter's Research Hotline, 1-888-VOTESMART.
For comprehensive Political Courage Test results for Oklahoma congressional candidates visit: http://votesmart.org/election/2012/C/OK/2012-congressional?stageId=P
Congressional and presidential candidates' Test answers are available in full at www.votesmart.org.
ABOUT US: Founded by national leaders such as Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, Vote Smart researches the voting records, backgrounds, issue positions, campaign contributions, interest group ratings, and public statements of more than 40,000 candidates and elected officials. This information, as well as ballot measures and voter registration information, is available through www.votesmart.org, the Voter’s Research Hotline (1-888-VOTE SMART), free publications (U.S. Government Owner’s Manual), and the new VoteEasy interactive application. Inaugurated in 1992, Project Vote Smart is non-partisan and nonprofit in mission, and is funded entirely by foundation grants and individual contributions.
