Search Form
First, enter a politician or zip code ▶
Now, choose a category ▶

Media

Blog

The Voter’s Speakeasy featuring unbiased reporting and insight into life at Vote Smart from our staff, interns, and volunteers.

December Common Ground E-Newsletter

2014 December 05

With the election over, winter has set in at Vote Smart’s Great Divide Ranch Research Center in Montana.

Our staff at both Montana's Great Divide Ranch and The Strauss Institute at the University of Texas has been reviewing their successes over this past year.
 

 
BY THE NUMBERS
8.4 million unique Vote Smart users during the 2014 election, almost twice what we had in the last mid-term elections -- which is just great. Although that represents over 10% of those voting, it was the worst voter turnout in 70 years -- which is just horrid.
5 most looked at issues: Abortion, Middle Class, Marijuana, Gun Control, and Immigration.
15,000 state and federal candidates were updated.
90,000 public statements were collected.
160 ballot measures were tracked.
928 bill summaries were written.
1.3 million dollars were raised.
 
 
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Each year the staff is invited to make proposals to the board. Here is one the board will consider at next week’s board meeting:
Candidate Hot Seat Proposal
Proposed by: Jamieson Bates, Abigail McNeal, Michael Mowery, and Kristen Vicedomini

The BIG Idea:
We will challenge candidates to pass “entrance exams” as part of their job application for office, taking advantage of satirical techniques to generate interest. At first, this will focus on provocative dimensions that are both humorous and legitimate; for example, issuing candidates an IQ test, or making them pass the Citizenship test, or take a test of Sociopathy.

The Product
We are proposing to ...

Read More

Tags

More Posts

2014 National PCT Results Released

2014 October 29

Preferring to protect themselves from opposition research, only 20% of the 1282 candidates for Congress were willing to provide voters or media with direct answers to the issue questions on Vote Smart’s National Political Courage Test.

VoteEasy and PCT Results Released in New Hampshire

2014 October 27

Today, Vote Smart released the results of the National Political Courage Test to VoteEasy at VoteSmart.org, giving New Hampshire voters an invaluable resource for identifying their best political match November 4th. Fifty-one of the congressional, state legislative and gubernatorial candidates passed the 2014 Political Courage Test.

VoteEasy and PCT Results Released in Maine

2014 October 27

Today, Vote Smart released the results of the National Political Courage Test to VoteEasy at VoteSmart.org, giving Maine voters an invaluable resource for identifying their best political match November 4th. Twenty-three congressional, state legislative and gubernatorial candidates passed the 2014 Political Courage Test.

VoteEasy and PCT Results Released in Texas

2014 October 27

Today, Vote Smart released the results of the National Political Courage Test to VoteEasy at VoteSmart.org, giving Texas voters an invaluable resource for identifying their best political match November 4th. Forty-six of the congressional, state legislative and gubernatorial candidates passed the 2014 Political Courage Test.

VoteEasy and PCT Results Released in Massachusetts

2014 October 27

Today, Vote Smart released the results of the National Political Courage Test to VoteEasy at VoteSmart.org, giving Massachusetts voters an invaluable resource for identifying their best political match November 4th. Thirteen congressional, state legislative and gubernatorial candidates passed the 2014 Political Courage Test.
 

VoteEasy and PCT Results Released in New York

2014 October 27

Today, Vote Smart released the results of the National Political Courage Test to VoteEasy at VoteSmart.org, giving New York voters an invaluable resource for identifying their best political match November 4th. Eleven of the congressional, state legislative and gubernatorial candidates passed the 2014 Political Courage Test. 

VoteEasy and PCT Results Released in Minnesota

2014 October 27

 Today, Vote Smart released the results of the National Political Courage Test to VoteEasy at VoteSmart.org, giving Minnesota voters an invaluable resource for identifying their best political match November 4th. Thirty congressional, state legislative and gubernatorial candidates passed the 2014 Political Courage Test.
 

VoteEasy and PCT Results Released in Iowa

2014 October 27

Today, Vote Smart released the results of the National Political Courage Test to VoteEasy at VoteSmart.org, giving Iowa voters an invaluable resource for identifying their best political match November 4th. Eleven congressional, state legislative and gubernatorial candidates passed the 2014 Political Courage Test.

VoteEasy and PCT Results Released in South Carolina

2014 October 27

Today, Vote Smart released the results of the National Political Courage Test to VoteEasy at VoteSmart.org, giving South Carolina voters an invaluable resource for identifying their best political match November 4th. Eight of the congressional, state legislative and gubernatorial candidates passed the 2014 Political Courage Test.


Skip to top

Help us stay free for all your Fellow Americans

Just $5 from everyone reading this would do it.

1
Select an amount
2
How often
3
Payment details

Thank You!

You are about to be redirected to a secure checkout page.

Please note:

The total order amount will read $0.01. This is a card processor fee. Please know that a recurring donation of the amount and frequency that you selected will be processed and initiated tomorrow. You may see a one-time charge of $0.01 on your statement.

Continue to secure page »

1
Select an amount
2
How often
3
Payment details
Back to top