There's more information than ever about different political candidates, and it can be hard to sift through it all. Here's a quick guide to what to focus on when researching candidates. 

1. Figure out who is running in the election. Write down key names. Star the ones you are already familiar with. They should still be researched, but they don't need to be the start of your search. 

    Use this website to figure out who will be on the ballot. 

2. Consider the party. You may see names or parties that you are unfamiliar with. While these candidates may seem enticing, sometimes you have to remember that only 1 candidate will win - the candidate with the most overall support. Just because you are enticed, try and think about how other's will vote. Sometimes it makes sense to vote for the candidate most likely to win (who also aligns with your beliefs) in order to not "waste" your vote in smaller elections. Circle names on your list of people who seem the most electable. 

3. Make a list of important issues to you. Rank them against each other to create a list of your personal, important issues. Use this list to guide you when looking at the platforms of most politicians, which can be accessed throughout personal campaign websites. See how each candidate ranks central issues and compare it to your own list. Underline candidates' names that represent the majority of issues important to you. 

4. When considering how much support a candidate has, it's not only about the electability (how likely a candidate is to be elected) of the person, but also what financial backing and support they have. It is important to educate yourself on which candidates have the most financial backing and where it is coming from. It's an unfortunate reality, but campaigns are expensive, and the more money you have, the more chance you have at winning the thing, oftentimes. Look into candidates that have become appealing to you based on step 1 - 3. Use the following websites to get actual numbers.  See where the money is coming from. Put a box around the candidates that have the most funding from reputable sources. 

- for county & city government finances in CA use this website

- for state finances use this website, but ensure that you select "Candidates and Elected Officials By Name" under choose a listing and for the election cycle choose the most recent

It's hard to tell sometimes what a "normal" amount of money to spend on an election is; this should not be a deciding factor, but something to consider. It's good information to have. ​

5. Now look back on your list and see which names have a combination of stars, underlines, boxes, etc. and focus on these candidates! Voting can be overwhelming, but hopefully this narrows down the list. Remember, the only "bad" vote is no vote at all! 

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