How to Find a Good Political CandidateHow to Find a Good Political Candidate

Whether it’s a local election that affects your neighborhood or a national race that will influence the direction of the country, elections are an important time to weigh candidates and decide which one best represents your views. Often, you need to move beyond the campaign ads and social media chatter to find the substantive candidate that has the leadership qualities to meet your needs. To help you do that, we’ve compiled this list of tips and resources to help you find the right candidate.

1. Understand the definition of candidacy.

When someone says, “You’re such a good candidate,” they are referring to the fact that you are a good person with a lot of potential. This could mean that you are a good worker, student or friend. The word candidacy is rooted in the Latin for “acquaintance” and refers to the process of becoming acquainted with another person.

2. Learn about endorsements.

Candidate endorsements can be a great way to see what the candidate stands for and how they might approach issues. For example, if a candidate is endorsed by an environmental organization, this could indicate that they will support legislation that protects the environment. If a candidate is endorsed by the NRA, this might indicate that they will oppose laws regulating guns. You can often find a list of the candidates’ endorsements on their campaign websites.

3. Be sure to read the candidates’ platforms.

The platform of a political party or a candidate is the plan that they have for addressing the issues facing the country or community. A good platform should be clear and concise, with a few key areas that the candidate is going to address. It should also contain specific, measurable goals. 4. Consider the candidates’ track record.
If a candidate has been in office for a long period of time, they are likely to have a history that you can review to assess their ability and commitment to address the issue at hand. This can be done by looking at their past votes and records, as well as evaluating their track record in other positions that they have held.

5. Know the rules of writing a letter of candidacy.

A letter of candidacy is a document that a program or school sends to the Committee on Accreditation (COA) when it is applying for initial accreditation. The letter contains a statement that the institution understands that candidacy status does not guarantee that the program will receive accreditation or that it will be granted accreditation at the end of the candidacy period.

The letter also includes a list of all the requirements for candidacy that the program has met so far and a timeline for when they will complete each remaining requirement, such as the preparation of the Program Presentation or comprehensive review. See resources for programs seeking initial accreditation for more information and letter templates.

Voter Support – Helping Americans Overcome Barriers to the VoteVoter Support – Helping Americans Overcome Barriers to the Vote

Voter Support involves helping Americans overcome obstacles to voting. These challenges can be caused by factors such as long wait times at polling places, fewer opportunities to vote by mail, limited accessibility at polling places for people with disabilities, and the difficulty of understanding information about candidates and their platforms. Americans are deeply divided over how best to address these problems, but most agree that the most important step is ensuring that every eligible American can exercise their right to vote without barriers.

To ensure that all citizens can vote without obstacles, the federal government works with local and state agencies to provide information about voter registration and voting procedures. Voters can find out where and when to go to the polls by checking their local board of elections website, or by calling the office. Voters with questions can also call the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s Voting Rights Section.

The Center for Voter Information provides resources to help voters locate and navigate their polling places. Voters can also request an absentee ballot from their local board of elections. When requesting an absentee ballot, it is recommended that the requestor include their driver’s license or other form of identification with their application. For voters who do not have a driver’s license or ID, they can submit a written explanation of their circumstances and sign a “reasonable impediment” declaration in addition to presenting another form of identification.

Many Americans are disproportionately burdened by barriers to the ballot box, especially those in rural areas and those who lack access to transportation or have physical or mental health conditions. The Center’s Voter Support Initiative leverages the full spectrum of the government’s assets to support these communities in their efforts to increase voter participation.

In our latest national polling, the overwhelming majority of Americans support reforms to make it easier for everyone to exercise their right to vote. In particular, Americans are highly supportive of requiring states to follow national redistricting standards, requiring that corporations disclose their donors, and allowing people convicted of felonies to vote after they have served their sentences.

Americans are also overwhelmingly supportive of other elements of the For the People Act, our bipartisan bill to restore democracy and give voters more power over their elected officials. Almost 80 percent of voters support provisions to protect election offices from intimidation and interference, and to create standards for handling election equipment.

In addition to our work to support the most vulnerable voters, we are working with social service organizations and the social work profession to integrate voting engagement into training for social workers and other human services professionals. To this end, the Humphreys Institute offers a free online course for professionals, and we are developing resources that can be used by individuals or groups. For example, we are creating a toolkit of resources and strategies that can be used by schools to inform their students about voting options and how to register.

The Importance of ElectionsThe Importance of Elections

Elections are the principal means through which citizens exercise their right to choose their leadership and representatives. When properly conducted they are a vital instrument for maintaining democracy and democratic accountability.

Elections establish a link between government of the day and public opinion (views shared by the majority of voters). They are also a key source of democratic legitimacy. They make governments publicly accountable to the people and ultimately removable from power. They demonstrate to the citizenry that they have chosen to be governed.

Moreover, democratic elections are important for the maintenance of political stability and social cohesion. They serve as the institutional connection between citizens and their government (Kirkpatrick, 1995a). Low turnout in general elections undermines democratic legitimacy and reinforces popular suspicion of their efficacy.

The concept of democratic elections emerged from the gradual emergence of representative government in Europe and America. This concept of representation replaced the holistic notion of representing estates, corporations and vested interests with one that emphasized the individual. The democratization of elections was accelerated by the expansion of universal suffrage in the 1950s and ’60s following decolonization in many countries. While a number of these countries later reverted to authoritarian forms of rule, many remained democracies and continued to employ competitive elections.

In the United States, the constitution vests the responsibility for regulating congressional elections in the states, subject to certain limitations set forth in the Elections Clause. The framers intended for Congress to be able to step in and regulate congressional elections if either state law or a state election procedure violated the federal constitution. This was a built-in self-defense mechanism that protected the nation from anarchy.

Competitive elections are essential for the democratic process because they allow for the emergence of competing political parties and ideologies. Without competition, the democratic system loses its ability to represent all the views of the electorate.

Competition also allows defeated political leaders to reenter the democratic arena at a future date. They can do so by running as a candidate for another political party or in some cases, through private means such as writing or teaching. In a pluralistic society, defeated politicians may find other ways to contribute to political debate through non-governmental organizations or the media.

The United States uses a unique electoral system that differs significantly from other democratic systems. Unlike most countries where electors vote for senators and members of the House of Representatives on a district basis, in the United States, voters cast two votes for President and one for Vice President. Those who win the most electoral votes, in each state, become president and vice president. The system has its problems, but it does work. Whether or not all states use it in the same way, a consistent application of election law is necessary to protect the integrity of the electoral process. Observation is a critical tool to ensure that elections are carried out in a fair and just manner.