ELECTIONS 2002 Abilene Christian University Government Documents

Helpful Information for Voting
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/helpful.shtml

Important dates, voting procedures, early voting information, and lists of county election officials.

Voter Information
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/index.shtml

Registration procedures, where to vote, ballot issues, frequently asked questions, etc. See especially the excellent guide to Texas Voting .

Register to Vote

For Texas (Registration deadline Oct. 7 for November 2002 Elections)
National Voter Registration Form

What's My District? Who are my Representatives?

Find your district numbers, who represents you, and what candidates you'll be eligible to vote for.
Find Your Incumbent (Texas Legislature Online)

Texas Redistricting
http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/tlc/research/redist/redist.htm

Excellent maps and population figures. Shows how election and representation was affected by redrawing district lines. See also Frequently Asked Questions Regarding The Census and Redistricting from the Texas Secretary of State Office.

Democracy Network Texas or Other states

Tracks elections from the national to the local level. Enter zipcode for customized ballot information. Convenient chart allows candidate comparison at a glance. Can read actual statements from candidates on individual issues.

Voter's Guide (League of Women Voters)
http://www.lwvtexas.org/EnglVG.pdf

Lists all candidates for statewide offices and some Court of Appeals races along with written responses from candidates on comparative issues. Excellent, well established information source.

Issues 2002 Texas or Other states

Excerpted quotes from selected candidates revealing their position. Grid classifies opinions as liberal, conservative, progressive, or libertarian.

Politics1 State Pages Texas or Other states

Good list of state election candidates with links to their positions statements. Most statements are from candidates own web sites. Also includes links to political parties, issues briefs, and news sources.

Project Vote Smart
http://www.vote-smart.org/

Non-partisan organization dedicated to compiling factual information on political candidates and elected officials to create an informed citizenry. Enter zipcode for customized information. Site includes biographical information, voting records, campaign issue positions, performance evaluations by special interests, campaign contributions, backgrounds, previous experience, and contact information. Standardized questionnaire results help compare candidates and identify stance on issues. Extensive links to other resources. Excellent, well-respected site.

Reporter’s Source Book
http://www.vote-smart.org/about/services/publications/rsbdownload.phtml?checking=

Issue briefs on major political concerns. Each brief consists of an overview, pro and con arguments, and the public’s perspective. Invaluable for identifying major issues and for citations to public opinion polls. Lists advocacy groups on opposing sides of issues, many of which rate elected officials.

AllPolitics Election 2002 (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/elections/index.senate.html

Features political analysis, balance of power issues, hot races, and zip code specific candidate news.

Campaign 2002 (C-SPAN)
http://www.c-span.org/Campaign2002/

Videos of state debates and campaign advertising

Lexis-Nexis Universe
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe

Use "Guided News Search" category. "General News–Major Newspapers" and "U.S. News" includes regional papers. "Transcripts" searches media broadcasts and actual interviews with candidates. Good source for stories of lesser known candidates.

Political Wire
http://politicalwire.com

searches dozens of news sites on the web for the latest political news and compiles them in an easy to read format. Summarizes stories from a variety of sources with links to the full story. Can search by subject or state. Cluttered with ads, but good site for getting an overview of news headlines.

Washington Post--Elections 2002 For Texas or For other states

Emphasis on political analysis. Special features are key races, race ratings, polls, and state-specific news. Also sign up for free regular Campaign Report Email .

Contents updated 10-10-2002
Laura Baker