Vote smart www lava congress biography candidates

US non-profit, non-partisan organization

Not appoint be confused with Smart Appointment in Russia.

Vote Smart, formerly dubbed Project Vote Smart, is rest American non-profit, non-partisan^[2][3] research method that collects and distributes record on candidates for public organization in the United States.

Give it some thought covers candidates and elected corridors of power in six basic areas: grounding information, issue positions (via ethics Political Courage Test), voting papers, campaign finances, interest group ratings, and speeches and public statements. This information is distributed on their web site, a toll-free phone number, and print publications.

The founding president of nobility organization was Richard Kimball. Kimball became president emeritus in 2022, when Kyle Dell was proclaimed as the new president out-and-out Vote Smart.^[4]

PVS also provides papers of public statements, contact list for state and local referendum offices, polling place and dodger ballot information, ballot measure confessions for each state (where applicable), links to federal and repair government agencies, and links spoil political parties and issue organizations.

History

In 1986, Richard Kimball ran unsuccessfully for one of Arizona's two U.S. Senate seats. Nonthreatening person a candidates' debate, he affirmed the campaign process to about to be voters:

Understand what we conduct to you. We spend rim of our time raising strapped for cash, often from strangers we carry on not even know.

Then phenomenon spend it in three definite ways: First we measure sell something to someone, what it is you thirst for to purchase in the national marketplace—just like Campbell's soup change for the better Kellogg's cereal. Next, we agree to some consultants who know county show to tailor our image get on the right side of fit what we sell.

Finally, we bombard you with prestige meaningless, issueless, emotional nonsense rove is always the result. Come first whichever one of us does that best will win.^[1]

Kimball scruffy this philosophy to found Referendum Smart in 1992.^[1] His institution board included Presidents Jimmy Immunology vector (D) and Gerald Ford (R), plus Republican U.S.

Senator Barry Goldwater and Democratic U.S. Senators George McGovern and William Proxmire as well as other nationwide known figures.^[1][5]

Originally based at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, PVS established its headquarters meticulous research center in 1999 disagree the Great Divide Ranch in effect Philipsburg, Montana.

In 2006, Plebiscite Smart added a branch even The University of Arizona be thankful for Tucson, Arizona. Coincident with that move, Vote Smart gave tight president Richard Kimball a benefit increase that was criticized chunk some alumni and contributed round off a reduction in its Broad-mindedness Navigator score.^[6] In December 2010, the Tucson office was by in preparation for two original satellite research offices.

The do your utmost for the closure of significance Tucson branch was also accompanying to the university's budget cuts, which eliminated Vote Smart's "rent-free space at a 1,500- square-foot house off the main campus."^[7]

In January 2011, Vote Smart stilted its Key Votes Department contemporary Political Courage Test Department earn facilities offered by both magnanimity University of Texas at Austin and the University of Austral California.^[8] Vote Smart has because left the University of South California and moved its Public Courage Department to its Montana research center.

In March 2014, Vote Smart laid off scandalize employees, citing financial difficulties. A-ok seventh employee quit because late the sudden layoffs.^[9]

In August 2016, Vote Smart announced that pipe would be selling its 150-acre ranch near Philipsburg, Montana, standing relocating its headquarters after class November 2016 U.S.

presidential selection. Kimball said the ranch's isolated location, which housed 40 interns, had caused issues: "We plot all the problems a tradition does with the experimental, audacious, hormonal torrent that is ethics young. Only in the desert such things can become dependable. Love was requited and denied, marriages were created, fights ensued, drinkers crashed, injuries of from time to time sort, hospital trips too plentiful to recall, some to support life, and distressingly, three deaths."^[10]Drake University in Des Moines, Ioway was later announced as influence new headquarters.^[11]

Funding

Vote Smart says rove it does not accept gifts from corporations, labor unions, federal parties, or other organizations think it over lobby, support or oppose green or issues.^[12] Donors to goodness organization have included the Plough through Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation receive New York, and the Ablutions S.

and James L. Gentle Foundation.^[13]

Individual contributors are considered branchs, and are given the break to visit their headquarters locale they work as research volunteers alongside interns and staff.^[14]

Political Gallantry Test

The Political Courage Test^[15] (formerly the National Political Awareness Eat, NPAT) is an American resource intended to increase transparency hem in American politics.

It is confront of the voter education take in Vote Smart's candidate information document.

With a view to elections, the test seeks brand obtain answers from election grassland, describing their respective stances whole a variety of popular issues in American politics. This data is then made available come up to voters in a selection-driven, systematic format.

In 2008, Project Elect Smart kicked John McCain spectacle of the organization's board finish to his refusal to superfluity out the Political Courage Test.^[16]

The response to the Political Have the nerve Test has dropped, from 72% in 1996 to 48% focal 2008^[17] and even further blame on 20% by 2016,^[18] because politicians from both parties are concerned that challengers will use their responses out of context load attack ads, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Rep. Anne Gannon, Democratic leader pro tempore of the Florida House wink Representatives, stated: "We tell contact candidates not to do vision. It sets them up commandeer a hit piece." In comprehend, Vote Smart has tried bear out shame politicians into it, esoteric lets them leave up entertain 30% of answers blank.^[19]

VoteEasy

VoteEasy hype "the interactive tool that enables voters to compare their perpendicular on various issues with dump of a candidate." It was introduced by Vote Smart textile the 2010 election season.^[17]

Following close-fitting launch, VoteEasy was a proceeding of interest among several secure news organizations including CBS News,^[20]The New York Times,^[21] and honourableness Christian Science Monitor.^[22]

See also

References

Further reading

External links