Elections, please clarify...?

Question

So many people to be elected, I am totally confused, with this mid term elections and the 2008... It would help to se something like a flow-chart o visual chart to see who is taking what seats in politics to understand who should I vote for. Too many people, too many sings, too many statements... can someone jus simplify this whole thing for me??? first time I am going to vote.

Answer 1

Check out this site below from the League of Women Voters website. Click on the link for your state, and follow the instructions. It will show you everyone that will be on you ballot, from U.S. Senate and House (and President in 2008) all the way down to City Council for your ward. It also has other information so you can start your research on the candidates.

Answer 2

Election years can be confusing. The reason for this is the difference in how long terms are for different offices.
So I don't confuse you more, I'll just talk about the 4 main elections: President, Senator, Governor, and House Representative.

The Presidential election takes place every 4 years. The last elecion was in 2004, so there will not be another until 2008, and then another in 2012, and so on every 4 years.

House Represenatives are elected to 2 year terms, so every even year, they have to run for office. That means that EVERY U.S Representative will be running for office this year, and they will all be running again in 2008, 2010, 2012 and so on. When there is a election year for the U.S. House that in NOT also a presidential election year (like 2006), this is called a MID TERM election, since it takes place in the middle of the President's term of office. These would be years like 2006, 2010, and 2014.

The Senators are a little different. The serve 6 year terms. This is where it can get a little confusing. Since they have 6 year terms, only about 1/3 are up for election every two years. 1/3 will be up for election either in 2 years, and the other 1/3 will be up for election in 4 years.

Finally, there is the election of the governors of each state. Governors serve 4 year terms, but the election year depends on the state. States like New York and Texas have governor elections this year, but states like Missouri and Utah have elections the same year as the president is elected. Depending on what state you live in, you're governor may be up for election this year.

As far as who to vote for, you'll have to decide that yourself. Look at the issues, inform yourself, and the make the decision you think is right.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Answer 3

I can totally understand your confusion in the elections, I've been voting for over 15 years, and I still get confused.

Elections work like this. Every 4 years is a presidential election. These are always in even years. Every 2 years the entire House of Representatives is up for re-election, and their terms are for 2 years only. The term of a US Senator is 6 years, and every 2 years one-third of the Senate is up for re-election. When it's not a presidential election year, it's called a "mid-term" election. Most states function very similarly to the Federal system, with governors up for election every four years, and state representative and sentors on 2 or 4 year term cycle. The elections for your state may or may not be in an even numbered year.

Your county clerk or local newspaper should have, or should send out sample ballots. These look exactly like the real ballot, and you can fill it out and take it into the voting booth with you. There also should have any ballot propistions or other local issued on them as well. If you don't get a sample ballot, call your county clerk's office and they can send you one. They may even be online in your county.

There are also many other resources that can help you find your way. The website http://www.thegreenpapers.com has links to all 50 states. Find your state's link, click it and then you will be taken to another page, which lists all the candidate's websites. You can then click and visit each candidate and find out what they stand for and what they want to do. It will take time, but it;s worth the time.

As for who to vote for, you should vote for someone who will represent you, and will stand for the things you believe in. Don't worry too much about political party, but rather, is this person good, honest, will they represent me and what I believe, and will they do the right thing, even if it means disagreeing with their party. Will they be a good American?

Good luck and good for you in choosing to vote, it is one of the most important things you can do as an American!

Answer 4

Check your local newspaper the week before the election. In fact, calling them and asking if they will have a special "election edition" would be a good idea.

Don't worry about 2008 yet - you have 2 years to research your choices for then. Right now you will need to read the information about your own representative district and any senators that may be up for election in your state. Then check to see who is running for what offices in your local area.

Nobody should make your decisions for you. These people are being elected to represent YOU in government, and you should choose someone whos' agenda is most similar to your own beliefs and feelings. Yes, it can be a lot to read and learn, but if you do not educate yourself, you will not be able to make an intelligent, informed decision, and may well vote for someone who believes exactly opposite of what you do.

Answer 5

Well, it's sort of tough to clarify. Here's how it works in the US:

Mid-term elections are elections that occur in the middle of a president's term. We elect a president every four years, so the mid-term elections are every four years too - they're just in between. Since we had our last presidental election in 2004, and our next one is in 2008, the elections in 2006 are the "mid-term" elections.

We elect representatives every 2 years, and all 435 representatives must be elected every two years. So there's 435 representative seats up during every mid-term election, and all of those 435 seats are up again during every "presidential season" election.

Senators serve 6-year terms. One-third of the senators are up for re-election every two years. This year, there will be 33 seats being filled by senatorial election. In 2008, there will be 34 (IIRC).

You are only responsible for voting for your senators (if they're up for reelection) and ONE representative, not all 435. You only vote for the representative who will represent your district (hence the name). To learn who your representative is, you can just go to http://www.house.gov and enter your ZIP code in the top left-hand corner.

As for WHO to vote for: I won't tell you that, because I'm not a political hack. I suggest that you find out who your representative/senators are, learning who their opponents are, and learn about the issues that they have taken a position on. Vote for the person you agree with more.

Answer 6

This can be very confusing. You can probably get a sample ballot from both the democratic and republican headquarters and go from there.