By Claudia Berry, League of Women Voters – Holland Area
Are you looking for unbiased information on candidates and proposals as you begin to fill out your absentee ballot or plan your vote for the Nov. 3 election? The League of Women Voters has the perfect website for you: VOTE411.org is an online voters’ guide which displays candidate and ballot proposal information personalized to a voter’s address.
The League’s mission is to ensure the rights of all qualified voters and to encourage informed and active participation in government. It is a nonpartisan, trusted, grassroots organization that has been a source of information about candidates and ballot issues for more than 100 years. Since we are living in a digital age, the League has developed a national website where voter information is compiled and offered to voters in an easy to access, digital format.
The League of Women Voters Holland Area encourages every eligible voter with internet access (or the ability to use the computers at Herrick Library) to visit VOTE411.org for nonpartisan election information.
To get started, type VOTE411.org in the web browser. The home page has three main sections:
“Find What’s on Your Ballot,” “Register to Vote,” and “Check Your Voter Registration Status.” All these sections have links to the Michigan Secretary of State’s website. Click the box that says, “Find What’s on Your Ballot,” enter your address, and then click “Go to My Races.” The website will produce information on races for your location, with information in either English and Spanish.
Candidates participating in VOTE411.org answer questions covering topics relating to the economy, health care, and the environment. All candidates respond in their own words. In some cases, the answers are blank, which means the candidate has not responded to that question.
VOTE411.org allows voters to compare candidate responses on these relevant issues. Candidates’ information is provided for the following races: state and local municipal races, the Michigan Supreme Court, local courts, and university trustees.
There is also a checklist for first-time voters. The League of Women Voters of the Holland Area is working hard to make voter information accessible even under COVID-19 social distancing constraints.
Look for our VOTE411 yard signs on lawns in the area promoting the website address.
Vote411.org was launched in 2006 and its popularity has grown rapidly. During the 2018 midterm elections, more than 5.5 million people used the Voter411.org website.
If you choose to vote in person, Election Day is Nov. 3 and the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Go to Vote411.org to find your polling place.
Get the facts at Vote411.org and make your voice heard on election day by voting!
-Claudia Berry has been president of the League of Women Voters of the Holland Area since 2018.
This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Quality of Life: The community, through governmental, religious, business and social organizations, makes decisions that contribute to its own well-being.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.
