Have you taken our Pledge for the 2012 Elections? If so, you know that it’s an Energy Citizens responsibility to vote for:
- American Energy Security
- The Keystone XL Pipeline
- Sensible Regulations on Oil and Natural Gas
- U.S. Energy Jobs
But how can you be sure you are casting your vote for the candidate who is most supportive of these positions?
Check out the Energy Citizens site.
Candidates who already hold an office may have voted on energy issues that are important to you.
Conduct online searches.
Use the search engine you trust such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing to bring up the latest on each candidate as well as archival information. Most search engines also have alert features that will automatically update you when new information appears online.
Begin with each candidate’s official website.
It’s seems only fair to give your candidates the benefit of the doubt and hear what each has to say on energy issues in their own words. Remember that some third-party sites might be supportive of the candidate, but still might not accurately represent his or her views.
Check the record.
Most candidates you will encounter have run for office at some level before, and so news articles or government websites have records of their votes or executive orders.
Ask family and friends.
Be mindful of bias or misinformation, but consider asking people you know because they may have longer or more direct experience with a candidate. You know their personalities, prejudices, and tendencies, and often that can give you insight that’s important to you.
Check the opposition.
Again, take it with a grain of salt, of course, because opponents obviously have a motive to spin a candidate’s issue positions; but often they can direct you to useful information that you may not find anywhere else.
Meet the candidates.
Ask them yourself! Find out ways to meet candidates in another of our blog entries.
Look for consistency.
The rule in journalism is to support a story with three independent sources. Once you’ve followed most or all of the steps above, compare them and decide for yourself.