Top 10 Tips on How to be a Savvy and Strategic

Primary Voter
It’s primary season and you want to select good leaders, but you are
bombarded with push polls, radio and television ads, signs, mailers, and
biased news reports.

How do you know what is true and what isn’t? How do you know who to
trust and who not too?

You may not be sure you even want to vote because of it!

Sadly, the vitriol of the political environment can drive people away from
the polls and also misinform the voters who do brave the rough seas to
cast their vote.

If you are considering skipping the primary, be sure to read the 6 Important Reasons to Vote in
the Primary Election. The primary is likely the most important election and our country needs
your informed vote!

But voting alone doesn’t solve the issue of how to select the best candidates. Although you want
to cast an informed vote, with all the political rhetoric floating around, you might not even be
sure what to believe about the candidates.

Fear not, once you get the hang of the tips below and what to look for, finding the candidates
that match your values isn’t as hard as it seems. After putting these tips below into action, your
days of voting for a candidate based on the number of yard signs or because of a television ad
will be over - you are about to become a savvy and strategic voter!

Tip #1 - Register / Plan to Vote

Make sure you are registered to vote according to the deadlines and regulations of your state.
Add an alert for the elections days on your calendar to remind yourself to vote. If you are not
sure how to register or where your polling place is, you can look it up at your Secretary of
State’s website by going to their election page and entering your voter registration information.

If you have health or other concerns, such as travel, that may prevent you from getting to your
polling place, you can contact your local clerk and submit a request for an absentee ballot to
cast your vote ahead of time.

Tip #2 - Know What to Expect on Your Ballot

A savvy voter doesn’t step into the voting booth surprised with ballot proposals and races they
didn’t know about. Most Secretary of State’s websites should have a sample copy of the ballot
you can expect to see at your local polling place.

Be sure to look up a sample of your ballot ahead of time to know what races you will be voting
on as well as the candidates and proposals. Michigan’s Secretary of State website is a great
resource to view ballots and information about candidates including links to their websites and
campaign finance information.

Tip #3 - Know the Candidates

It’s always good to meet as many of the candidates as you can, look them in the eye and ask
how they will vote on the issues important to you if elected. Or if they have a voting record, you
can ask them about past votes and why they voted the way they did.

Candidates should be willing to connect with voters, even in the larger races. They should be
available at meet-and-greets, candidate forums, or at their campaign headquarter locations.
However, if you are unable to meet the candidates, call and talk with them about the issues
important to you. Even if it’s the night before election day, give them a call. If they are a
candidate who is willing to be accessible to the voters, they should take your call.

Most candidates have websites that list their contact information and upcoming events where
they are available. The websites also might list where the candidate stands on issues. You can
either use a search engine to find a website or your Secretary of State’s website may provide a
direct link to the candidates website for you on the sample ballot.

You may notice that some of the candidates who have been in politics for a very long time may
have a higher name ID (identification), and are more familiar to you than some of the others. A
lot of candidates count on name ID alone to keep them in office, but it’s important to go beyond
the name and actually get to know the candidate and who they are, what they have done, and
what they plan to do.

Although the prominent elections often receive our most attention, be careful not to overlook the
quiet elections too. At times, grassroots candidates (i.e. non-politicians) will challenge the
incumbent in the primary. If that grassroots candidate doesn’t have special interest support or
large amounts of campaign dollars, you may not hear a lot of noise in that race. However, that
doesn’t mean they aren’t worth consideration, you may find you prefer them over the incumbent.

Tip #4 - Know Their Voting Records

If the candidate is an incumbent, or has served in any other elected position, chances are they
have a voting record. Past votes reveal more about a candidate than their mailers or radio ads.
A lot of candidates will say make many promises during campaign season, but what matters is if
they actually vote in accordance with those promises.

If you live in Michigan a helpful and user friendly resource to check out the votes of your elected
officials is michiganvotes.org. At michiganvotes.org you can even sign up for weekly legislative
updates. Or you can visit legislature.mi.gov and look up your elected officials to check their
voting records, including votes made from years ago.

Tip #5 - Know Their Funding Sources

Unfortunately, this may be one of the most important indicators of who will have the greatest
influence on your candidate while they are in office. Campaigning is expensive. Candidates,
especially incumbents, will accept major funding from lobbyists in order to help fund their
campaigns.
Candidates must disclose campaign finance records according to state and federal law which
govern what donations are allowable and the disclosures which are required. You can find each
candidates campaign finance information listed on your Secretary of State’s website.

Beyond campaign dollars, there are additional resources that benefit candidates that are harder
to measure. For example, there are the House Republican and Democrat Campaign
Committees which jump in to assist in races. These resources are not captured in campaign
finance records and this support usually goes to candidates who have earned favor with current
political establishment.

There are also the typical assortment of PACs (Political Action Committees) and non-profit
dollars that are thrown around in the higher level and close races. If your candidates are funded
in these various ways, look closely at what these groups support.

Another funding source for candidates are the dollars that are received directly from the voters
themselves. The more donations a candidate has from voters, even if they are in small
amounts, is a sign that the candidate has focused on connecting with the people over the
special interests.

Tip #6 - Know The Races

Knowing the unique features of each race will help you fine tune your voting approach. Listed
here are the basic races and what to consider for each one in the primary.

Local Elections - These elections are for positions within your community such as County Drain
Commissioner, City Council, Township Board, Sheriff, etc.. These candidates are from your
community and should be easily accessible. References or endorsements from others in your
community should be easily obtained for these candidates as well.

Precinct Delegates - The precinct delegate is the smallest unit of government and is party
specific. When elected, these delegates earn a voting privilege within their political party and
may casts votes at their party’s state and national conventions.

Precinct delegates also decide which candidates will represent the major parties in the general
election for such positions as Secretary of State, Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, state
school board, and the leadership within the parties.

State Level Elections - These are powerful positions which impact legislation including the
allocation of millions of dollars each year in the state budget. You will find that these races are
heavily influenced by special interests and the political establishment who all hope to be at the
receiving end of some of those dollars. Unfortunately, at these levels, the candidate is generally
focused on positioning themselves for influence and power to insure their next step up the
political ladder.

• State Representative - There are 110 representatives in Michigan with districts sizes of
77,000 - 91,000 residents. These elections occur every 2 years with term limits of 6 years,
causing an “open seat”, every 6 years. An open seat affords a much better opportunity for
newcomers, so if you have an open seat election, you are likely to see many candidates who
are new to politics. However, if it is not an open seat, you are likely to see an incumbent
 running alone, or with possibly 1 or 2 challengers. You may want to consider the challengers,
especially if you have not been satisfied with the votes cast by your current representative.

• State Senate - There are 38 senators in Michigan with elections every 4 years and term limits
of 12 years. Due to the larger size of these districts, between 212,400 - 263,500 residents,
particularly important is established name ID and funding. These primary elections are
generally between the 2 or 3 state representatives from the senate district or other elected
officials. This position is typically a step in the political career ladder for representatives to
move from the House to the Senate.

The good news is that nearly all of these candidates have a lengthy voting record you can
review to make your decision. The bad news is these candidates have spent numerous years
cutting deals and doing favors for the political establishment and special interests. In return,
they receive support and funding to use in campaign season. Voting records reveal a much
more accurate expectation as to the intentions of the candidate than the plethora of ads and
campaign speeches.

• Governor - This race is statewide, and in Michigan, Governors are elected every 4 years and
they are limited to 2 terms since a Constitutional Amendment was passed in 1992. Due to the
imposed term limit, an open seat will occur every 8 years if the incumbent Governor wins his/
her second term.

The Governor is a very powerful position which can influence the direction of millions of
dollars and also provide a natural springboard for a future run for President. These
candidates typically have been career politicians gaining statewide name ID along with a
large network and resources over the years to run for such a high level office.

• U.S. Representative - There are 14 congressional districts in Michigan with elections for each
representative every 2 years. Although there is high election frequency, the districts are fairly
large and incumbents are extremely difficult to topple. The incumbent candidates have
massive war chests accrued (from serving in Congress) at their disposal. They also have an
extensive network of support within the political establishment as well as special interest
groups that will have their back if needed to assist in crushing any opponent that tries to
challenge them.

If you see a challenger to an incumbent in this race, it is likely that the challenger will be
heavily attacked by negative ads from the incumbent or special interest groups. It is one of
the most common tactics used to destroy challengers. It takes a lot of courage to run against
an incumbent in this position for this reason. It is important to look beyond these ads and find
the truth about the challenging candidate through meeting them and doing a little research.

• U.S. Senate - There are 2 U.S. senators from each state, each elected for 6 year terms with
no term limits. These elections include voters from across the entire state. These are also
very powerful positions and the size and scope of these races make it very difficult for a
candidate without large financial resources and high name ID to mount a significant
challenge. The same points apply here as with the U.S. representative race above.

Local Ballot Proposals - In the primary, you will likely see local ballot proposals which effect
townships, cities, and counties, such as millages and bond proposals. Many times these
proposals are used for raising funds by increasing taxes in your community, so taking a look at
how previous funds have been used and how they expect to allocate the news funds gained is
important. You should be able to get this information by calling your local clerk’s office.

Tip #7 - Look Beyond the Surface

During election season, you will likely be bombarded with commercials and ads pushing or
attacking candidates and issues. During this season, people often ask, “Why are there so many
negative ads?” The answer is that unfortunately, research and polling has shown that negative
ads work.

Until we have enough voters who will not be swayed by such ads, and who are informed
enough to see beyond the scare tactics of special interests and even the media, these types of
campaigning tools will stick around.

It is up to us as voters to require solid information from the candidates on the issues, their voting
history, and their funding. It is also up to us to then examine the issues and not be swayed by
misleading ads. Only then will the atmosphere of elections change.

We can start by first being informed about the candidates and knowing who their support is
coming from. Take everything you see or read with a grain of salt and find out who is behind the
ad.

For example, an organization called the Michigan Freedom Fund, which is supported by a very
wealthy political player, sends out mailers to republican voters. They ask voters to vote for the
“conservative” precinct delegate candidates listed on their mailers. However, the names they
provide are candidates who are favorable to the party leadership, not necessarily candidates
with conservative views. This has been a method used to misguide voters and purge
conservatives from precinct delegate positions within the republican party.

Knowing who to believe and trust is not always easy during election season. Front organizations
are set up with names that sound credible and it can be difficult to find information on them.
Again, a voter’s best bet is to know the candidate, their voting records, their funding sources,
and the facts in the race to make an informed vote so you are not swayed by misleading ads.

Along with this, if someone knocks on your door during election season, it may be your perfect
opportunity to get many of the questions you have answered. Having these additional questions
ready to go may help.
• Are you the candidate or family member of the candidate?
• How are you connected to the candidate?
• Are you a member of the candidates staff or are you connected to any political consultant
group?
• Are you a volunteer?
• Why are you out knocking doors for the candidate?
Tip #8 - Multiply Your Vote
Spread your knowledge and understanding to others! For example, you can share this article
with them. You can also introduce others to the candidates or invite a friend to visit a candidate
meet and greet with you. When you engage your friends and family, it will help get out the vote
and encourage those around you to be informed voters, which is a win-win for everyone!
Tip #9 - You Can Skip a Vote on Your Ballot
While you are filling out your ballot, if you find that you come to a proposal or race that you
weren’t prepared for and you are not sure how to vote, you can skip it and move on to the next
race. This may even happen if there is only one candidate in a race and you are not comfortable
voting for that candidate. There may even be a place for you to write in a candidates name if
you desire instead. You should never feel forced or pressured to vote for someone or something
you are unsure of, even if they are the only one on the ballot and it says, “choose one.”

Tip #10 - Vote Your Conscience

When all is said and done, it is your vote and no one else’s. Your vote is sacred to you and you
should not feel pressured or forced to cast a vote for a candidate who you are not comfortable
with.

Many times the political establishment or others will try and pressure voters with threats that you
will be throwing your vote away if you vote for a certain candidate, or that you must always
support all the candidates of a certain party.

There are many positions one can take surrounding voting strategy. Applying the information
you gather from the tips listed above will help you walk out of the polling place feeling
comfortable and confident about the votes you cast.

An aware and informed voter holds a powerful place as a citizen.

By investing just a few hours into casting an informed vote and by spreading your knowledge to
others, you can have a positive impact in choosing your elected officials, improving government,
and bringing positive change to your community, your state, and your nation!

Author Bio: Cindy Bauer began her political involvement in 2009 as a

grassroots advocate. Concerned for our nation and future generations,
Cindy has founded multiple grassroots organizations and events, working
with volunteers to help educate and inform voters on legislation and policy
issues. Her experience spans inner party, local, state, and U.S.
congressional and senate campaigns. Cindy has been elected and served
as Precinct Delegate, Presidential Elector, and State Representative. A
strong advocate for the people, she often challenged the political status
Photo credit Jenna Farris quo. During such a challenge, while serving as State Representative, she
https:// was expelled from office. Subsequently, Cindy was cleared of the
www.farrisphotography.org allegations levied against her and has filed suit for their actions in removing
the representation of 90,000 people without due process. Through this
journey, Cindy's heart for the people and the freedom we are blessed with has never diminished. Cindy
resides in Michigan with her 3 children and can be contacted at grassrootswinning@gmail.com.