With so many media sources all trying to persuade the reader to vote for a favorite candidate in elections, many times it is difficult for voters to understand where exactly candidates stand on key issues. Doing your own research on the internet can prove futile as information regarding candidate’s stances are scattered and many times incomplete, inaccurate, or not answered thoroughly.
Noticing the issue at hand, college students created The Campus Election Engagement Project that is “ a nonpartisan effort to get students involved in the election.” The idea of this project is mainly to “[produce] guides for the presidential race and key Senate races that institutions like colleges and other nonprofits can circulate to give their communities accurate information in a way that they can't with more partisan guides.” This group provides links to websites which ask an important question about how a candidate feels about combat operation in Afghanistan, for example, and the question is answered with a yes or no or with a concise sentence.
The Missouri Senate race between Todd Akin and Claire McCaskill is included in these students’ project. Based off nonpartisan information gathered from their website, Claire McCaskill is pro-choice, supports the DREAM Act, supports reducing defense spending, supports requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship, and supports federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth. Todd Akin is Pro-life, including in cases of rape or incest, does not support the DREAM Act, supports requiring undocumented aliens to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for legal status, does not support reduction defense spending, and does not support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth.
Gathering concrete answers to compare candidates who are running against each other such as are listed above could take hours of browsing the internet. Now, voters are able to compare both candidates on important issues within minutes. Initially this program was created as an incentive for college students, faculty, and staff to get engaged in the election. With information readily available and a link to check the facts for each candidate right away, the process of voting and choosing a candidate to endorse seems much less daunting. The website has many interesting features including allowing you to type in your address and “click "Get Personalized Information on Candidates and Issues," and it will give you information provided by the respective campaigns on their stands, taking you first through national races, then statewide races, then local ones.”
So whether you have already made up your mind which candidate you are supporting in the elections or if you are still unsure, this website is a good nonpartisan reference to take a look at. If you have questions regarding how a candidate’s immigration views can impact you, contact us at 314-961-8200.
