As the 2022 Midterm Elections come closer and closer, it's time to ask yourself if you are educated about what is on your ballot. The first step is to make sure you're registered to vote, which you can learn about in "Voter Registration: 2022 Elections." The second step is being informed on the candidates and the issues voters will be making decisions on. There are a variety of resources that provide a non-partisan insight and information on these topics.
There are multiple resources that offer information about the candidates on every ballot. These sites also offer a non-partisan perspective and don't lean toward any candidate they are sharing information about.
USA.gov | Voter Guides & Sample Ballots
USA.gov promotes using voter guides and sample ballots to prepare for election time. Voter guides "list who you can vote for and offer details on each candidate's experience and goals." These guides can be found in local newspapers, some organizations, or you can find them online. USA.gov links to ballotready.com to create your own voter guide! The site asks for your voting address and takes you to an "Election Center," where you can go to "Research Ballot" to get information for the candidates on your ballot.
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A voter guide then pops up with each race and highlights each candidate in that area. When clicking on the candidates, it highlights their experience, education, and stances on a variety of issues. For example, a U.S. Senate Seat in Oklahoma highlights candidates the following way:
Ballotpedia.org collects "comprehensive election information" and "race overviews" for each election. The sample ballots they offer allows viewers to go through articles and information for each candidate and ballot measure. To use it, enter the address where you are registered to vote. Then, each race and its candidates will appear with information on each candidate's page.
Were the Candidates Elected Officials Before?
By following the voter guides and sample ballots, those resources will tell voters if the candidates they are looking at has held a position in any office. If they were, there are various ways to see their stance and voting records on certain bills. If they were members of the United States Senate, the Senate website offers a record of roll call votes, which is any vote that is noted through the Clerk. After choosing a year and congress, either go through the list of bills or search by topic. Click on the link for that topic and a list of each Senator and their vote is available. It will look like the following:
If they were members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House posts roll call votes in the same way the United States Senate does. The House lists it like the following:
Current Top Races
As with every election, there are some races that are being highlighted to most and all eyes are on them. Read a little more about some of those top races below!
Oklahoma Governor Race
- Kevin Stitt (R)
- Current Governor of Oklahoma
- Joy Hofmeister (D)
- Current Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Natalie Bruno (L)
- Ervin Yen (I)
- Past Oklahoma State Senator - District 40
Texas Governor Race
- Greg Abbott (R)
- Current Governor of Texas
- Beto O'Rourke (D)
- Past U.S. House Member - Texas' 16th Congressional District
- Delilah Barrios (G)
- Mark Tippetts (L)
- Past Appointed City Council member - Lago Vista
- Jacqueline Abernathy (I)
- Mark Goloby (I)
Georgia Governor Race
- Brian Kemp (R)
- Current Governor of Georgia
- Stacey Abrams (D)
- Past Georgia House Representative - District 89
- Shane Hazel (L)
- David Byrne (I)
- Milton Lofton (I)
Senate Races
Every single Senate race is important due to the current Senate majority. Right now, it is a Democrat majority because Senators are 50% Democrats, 50% Republican, and the Vice President, whom breaks the tie, is a Democrat. Hence, the Democratic controlled Senate is only doing so by one person. This upcoming election can easily make a difference in the Senate majority.
Every single Senate race is important due to the current Senate majority. Right now, it is a Democrat majority because Senators are 50% Democrats, 50% Republican, and the Vice President, whom breaks the tie, is a Democrat. Hence, the Democratic controlled Senate is only doing so by one person. This upcoming election can easily make a difference in the Senate majority.
OSU Resources
The OSU Library also offers a variety of resources about elections in general. The Government Documents Department on the 5th floor has access to the following:
More Resources
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Eager to know more? Start here.
Government Information Online is produced by the staff at the Oklahoma State University Libraries Government Documents Department, a regional depository for U.S. Government and Oklahoma state government documents. We are located on the 5th floor of the Edmon Low Library. Our department website can be reached at www.info.library.okstate.edu/government-documents. For more information or for research assistance, contact us at 405.744.6546. or email suzanne.reinman@okstate.edu.
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