Actually read the ballot measures. Not jus the summaries; the measure itself. If you can’t understand it, chances are you shouldn’t be supporting it. If someone who supports it can’t explain it to you, chances are they’re dishonest, it’s a train wreck of a measure, or both.
Look at who is supporting what. Also known as, “follow the money”. If an environmental ballot measure is heavily funded by an Astroturf industry group, chances are it’s not really a pro-environment measure.
If you don’t know a candidate on the ballot or don’t know much about the office, don’t vote. This is the universe’s way of telling you to be better prepared next time.
You can get time off to work if you cannot vote during normal working hours.
You have to live with these choices for anywhere from four to infinity years. Choose wisely.
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I have to admit that there have only been one or two elections where I tried reading all the ballot measures – but then, what I usually do is first figure out which ones I don’t have to look at closely because I know I’m voting them down (totally opposed to the proposition in principle, or every organization I respect is recommending against it), and then look more closely at what’s left.
Good advice, though; all too often measures that sound good in the summary are train wrecks in their actual details.
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