Here’s how to prepare to vote

A critical component of democracy is that our leaders are selected by us – “we the people“, through the act of voting. In principle, every adult citizen has the power to vote. Every citizen has an equal amount of power; one person, one vote. Amazing!
We citizens have the right, the privilege and the obligation to vote. We need to consider what is important to us and determine who will best represent our positions.
We need to know who and what we are voting for – and why. This requires that we educate ourselves. The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a major source of information to help us do this, through two vehicles – one online, one in print.
VOTE 411. Some of you have probably seen “VOTE411” and said – “What does that mean?” Before cell phones, when you wanted information, you dialed “411.” Since 2006, the League of Women Voters has used “VOTE411“ as the website for citizens to obtain online all of the information they need to successfully participate in elections. It is quite comprehensive.
Following the recent redistricting process, some Bucks County voters are in new voting districts and may not know which candidates will be on their ballot. By entering your address in the VOTE411 website, you can see exactly who will be on your ballot. You can also check your registration status and find out where your polling place is.
Perhaps most important, it provides candidates the opportunity to answer, in their own words, a series of questions created by the League of Women Voters (LWV). These written responses are NOT edited by the nonpartisan LWV. All candidates have been invited to provide this information as a service to voters. If they do not respond, we won’t know if they represent our positions. Candidates are able to submit their answers right up to election time, so visit the site on a regular basis.

If you are comfortable using a computer, simply enter “VOTE411.org” and you will find a one-stop shop for all the information you need to vote. Check it out.
Bucks County Herald Voter’s Guide
For voters more comfortable with the printed page, as a public service, the Bucks County Herald, in concert with the League of Women Voters of Bucks County, presents the information you need in print. The Voter’s Guide for the May 17 Primary will be published on May 5. It will include the same candidate information available on VOTE411 and is available wherever the Bucks County Herald is distributed.
Both VOTE411 and The Voter’s Guide also provide information about the duties of each office. When there are ballot questions, both also include these, with an explanation of each. As mentioned in last week’s LWV article in the Herald, there are no ballot questions in the upcoming May 17 Primary.

For more information about the League of Women Voters, go to lwv.bucks.org.

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