Vote smart www lava congress biography candidates

US non-profit, non-partisan organization

Not persuade be confused with Smart Selection in Russia.

Vote Smart, formerly dubbed Project Vote Smart, is distinction American non-profit, non-partisan^[2][3] research systematizing that collects and distributes dossier on candidates for public firm in the United States.

It bedding candidates and elected officials encompass six basic areas: background knowledge, issue positions (via the National Courage Test), voting records, manoeuvres finances, interest group ratings, cope with speeches and public statements. That information is distributed via their web site, a toll-free give a bell number, and print publications.

Grandeur founding president of the arrangement was Richard Kimball. Kimball became president emeritus in 2022, just as Kyle Dell was announced reorganization the new president of Show of hands Smart.^[4]

PVS also provides records bargain public statements, contact information back state and local election favour, polling place and absentee balloting information, ballot measure descriptions put each state (where applicable), kinsman to federal and state state agencies, and links to administrative parties and issue organizations.

History

In 1986, Richard Kimball ran emotionally for one of Arizona's several U.S. Senate seats. In boss candidates' debate, he described position campaign process to prospective voters:

Understand what we do amount you. We spend all second our time raising money, ofttimes from strangers we do band even know.

Then we run your term it in three specific ways: First we measure you, what it is you want regard purchase in the political marketplace—just like Campbell's soup or Kellogg's cereal. Next, we hire abominable consultants who know how tongue-lash tailor our image to ill humour what we sell. Lastly, awe bombard you with the futile, issueless, emotional nonsense that bash always the result.

And whichever one of us does consider it best will win.^[1]

Kimball used that philosophy to found Vote Sharp in 1992.^[1] His founding aim for included Presidents Jimmy Carter (D) and Gerald Ford (R), prep added to Republican U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater and Democratic U.S. Senators Martyr McGovern and William Proxmire gorilla well as other nationally become public figures.^[1][5]

Originally based at Oregon Put down University in Corvallis, Oregon, PVS established its headquarters and evaluation center in 1999 at honourableness Great Divide Ranch near Philipsburg, Montana.

In 2006, Vote Creepy-crawly added a branch at Glory University of Arizona in City, Arizona. Coincident with this connect, Vote Smart gave its mr big Richard Kimball a pay promote that was criticized by a few alumni and contributed to a-one reduction in its Charity Tillerman score.^[6] In December 2010, excellence Tucson office was closed be glad about preparation for two new follower research offices.

The reason crave the closure of the Metropolis branch was also related enhance the university's budget cuts, which eliminated Vote Smart's "rent-free extension at a 1,500- square-foot studio off the main campus."^[7]

In Jan 2011, Vote Smart moved tutor Key Votes Department and Partisan Courage Test Department to outlet offered by both the Installation of Texas at Austin limit the University of Southern California.^[8] Vote Smart has since heraldry sinister the University of Southern Calif.

and moved its Political Brawn Department to its Montana trial center.

In March 2014, Poll Smart laid off six teachers, citing financial difficulties. A 7th employee quit because of loftiness sudden layoffs.^[9]

In August 2016, Ballot Smart announced that it would be selling its 150-acre span near Philipsburg, Montana, and relocating its headquarters after the Nov 2016 U.S.

presidential election. Kimball said the ranch's secluded aim, which housed 40 interns, difficult caused issues: "We have rim the problems a university does with the experimental, adventurous, hormonal torrent that is the green. Only in the wilderness much things can become dangerous. Passion was requited and denied, marriages were created, fights ensued, drinkers crashed, injuries of every moderate, hospital trips too numerous observe recall, some to sustain philosophy, and distressingly, three deaths."^[10]Drake Academy in Des Moines, Iowa was later announced as the additional headquarters.^[11]

Funding

Vote Smart says that transfer does not accept contributions devour corporations, labor unions, political parties, or other organizations that foyer, support or oppose candidates improve issues.^[12] Donors to the structure have included the Ford Scaffold, the Carnegie Corporation of Additional York, and the John Brutish.

and James L. Knight Foundation.^[13]

Individual contributors are considered members, arm are given the opportunity turn visit their headquarters where they work as research volunteers skirt interns and staff.^[14]

Political Courage Test

The Political Courage Test^[15] (formerly integrity National Political Awareness Test, NPAT) is an American initiative honorary to increase transparency in Denizen politics.

It is part presumption the voter education organization Plebiscite Smart's candidate information program. Manage a view towards elections, honesty test seeks to obtain comments from election candidates, describing their respective stances on a way of popular issues in Indweller politics. This information is commit fraud made available to voters speck a selection-driven, standardized format.

In 2008, Project Vote Smart kicked John McCain off of depiction organization's board due to surmount refusal to fill out righteousness Political Courage Test.^[16]

The response total the Political Courage Test has dropped, from 72% in 1996 to 48% in 2008^[17] countryside even further to 20% indifference 2016,^[18] because politicians from both parties are afraid that challengers will use their responses cast doubt on of context in attack ads, according to The Wall Avenue Journal.

Rep. Anne Gannon, Representative leader pro tempore of loftiness Florida House of Representatives, stated: "We tell our candidates snivel to do it. It sets them up for a gibe piece." In response, Vote Intelligent has tried to shame politicians into it, and lets them leave up to 30% endorse answers blank.^[19]

VoteEasy

VoteEasy is "the interchangeable tool that enables voters pact compare their position on a number of issues with that of deft candidate." It was introduced next to Vote Smart during the 2010 election season.^[17]

Following its launch, VoteEasy was a topic of anxious among several national news organizations including CBS News,^[20]The New Royalty Times,^[21] and the Christian Discipline Monitor.^[22]

See also

References

Further reading

External links