A message from Richard Kimball, President
It's time for every thinking American to saddle up and fight for that most precious component in our struggle to self govern, our right to know.
GOP field narrowing, but are candidates really gone?
The South Carolina Republican Presidential Preference Primary is scheduled for Saturday, January, 21st and while in most of our minds there are only four candidates still vying for the GOP nomination, one look at the ballot will tell a slightly different story.
Where it all began
It was unclear what might be done to ensure that citizens had at least one independent source to easily acquire accurate information, but what we eventually decided upon remains the heart of Project Vote Smart today.
Oregon major party candidates lacking political courage
We released the 2012 Political Courage Test results today for Oregon's special election showing neither major party congressional candidate running for the state's 1st Congressional District seat was willing to answer even the most basic issue-related questions addressed inside the Test.
Iowa has spoken
As expected, the Iowa Caucus, the first nominating contest of the 2012 election season, proved to shake things up inside the GOP race.
Can a sweater do that?
Give a gift membership to Vote Smart and help us keep our politicians honest – can a sweater do that?
Testing Oregon CD-1 candidates' political courage
Special elections typically are a result of unusual circumstances, scandal, or tragedy, and the race for Oregon's 1st Congressional district is no exception.
Is pizza a vegetable?
"...an increase in the amount of tomato paste required for the paste to be considered a serving of vegetables." Do you agree?
Redistricting: The 10-year shake up
There is one issue that only pops up every decade with noticeable consequences, and that issue is redistricting.
That's strong stuff
University of Southern California student, and current intern, David Hernandez discusses his experience working as a part of our research team.
Response from major parties following 'SuperCommittee' failure
The inability of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or 'Supercommittee', to come to an agreement to reduce the United States' government debt by over one trillion dollars has prompted a significant response by both Democrats and Republicans.
Immigration: What are the presidential candidates saying?
Research intern Julie Bissinger takes a closer look at what the 2012 presidential candidates have said recently on the issue of immigration.
'Supercommittee' misses deadline
The U.S. Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction was established with the goal of improving both the short and long term financial outlook of the US and reducing the deficit “...by at least $1,500,000,000 over the period of fiscal years 2012 to 2021” But they missed their deadline...
Help us expand our legislative research
Our Legislative Research Department’s primary responsibility of tracking legislation at the state and federal levels has been so well-received that we are thinking about expanding to other areas that might be useful to voters, but we need your input.
Why I volunteer
Voters aren’t stupid; they know that political ads are emotionally deceptive, and they hunger for real facts. Project Vote Smart can help. Why do I volunteer here? Because it matters.
Health care: What are the candidates saying?
Research intern Julie Bissinger takes a closer look at what the 2012 presidential candidates have said recently on the issue of health care.
Find your Political Soulmate with VoteEasy
With the presidential election exactly one year away, Project Vote Smart has launched VoteEasy (winner of the best there is at the 2011 Webvisionary Awards), the interactive tool for voters to instantly see which presidential candidate they are most compatible with. To use VoteEasy now visit www.votesmart.org.
Candidates Running in 2011 Lack Courage
“It shouldn’t take courage for a politician to complete a survey regarding positions on issues. Yet seemingly it does.” – South Bend Tribune