Just days after the 2004 presidential election, I had a conversation that shook my resolve to “get out the vote” — my belief that everyone, no matter their political leanings, should exercise their right and responsibility to play an active part in selecting those who will govern us.

This person told me that she had voted for the major offices but, when it came to the less-publicized races — judges and the like — “I just voted for the incumbent,” she said. “I figured I don’t necessarily like the government we have right now, and it might be nice to have a change.”

I did the double-take you probably just did before answering. “Do you know what the word ‘incumbent’ means?” I asked. She said she assumed it meant that the candidates were “in-coming,” that they were vying for a seat currently held by someone else.

This 24-year-old college student seemed to me the tip of an iceberg that is likely much larger, an extreme (I hope) example of the level of equipment we Americans bring to the polls. Beyond the basics of civics terminology is the truly daunting task of making an informed decision about the candidates and issues that face us.

There are two distinct levels at play: how to vote and “how to vote.” The first involves the basic but critical step of actually registering, finding your polling place and filling out a ballot. There are resources to help with this: both the City of Minneapolis and the League of Women Voters offer easy-to-follow guidance on their websites, www.ci.mpls.mn.us/elections and www.lwvmpls.org.

The League of Women Voters is also a bridge to the second and more difficult level of “how to vote.” The website includes information that can aid the uneducated voter (all of us, to some extent) with candidate and referenda descriptions, information on local forums and much more.

From there, it’s on to the advanced information. What are the issues? Where do the candidates stand on them? Do they have actual plans to carry their stances out? How do they plan to implement and pay for their proposals? How do their stated proposals and claims stack up against their past voting records and promises? What are the candidates’ experience and credentials? And is what they’re saying about their opponent — and themselves — true?

Traditionally, it’s the media’s charge to disseminate and deliver relevant facts and developments during the sustained typhoon of election season, but it’s increasingly challenging to cut through the fat (and the frosting) in search of political protein. During a recent week when Wall Street was imploding under the weight of the worst financial crisis since the Depression, headlines were telling us which presidential candidate Americans would rather have a beer with.

Political ads either attack opponents or pitch platitudes, and pundits and pollsters jabber like the race, rather than governance, is the goal.

Nonetheless, there is substance to be found, even on television. Watch the local and national debates. Read the newspaper and listen to the radio with a discerning eye and ear. Talk to other people, whether they agree with you or not. Then, follow up on what you’ve learned. The internet offers an at-your-service library of public record, fact-check and comparison. A few sites to check out: www.factcheck.org www.public agenda.org; www.ontheissues.org (or Google, for that matter). Compare and contrast, and be aware of who is offering the information.

Finally, stop and take a look at some of the factors — if not facts — that surround us. Our country is at war on two fronts, unemployment and gas prices are up, millions of homes have been foreclosed, and that bad debt nearly collapsed the nation’s economy. The bailout intended to save it adds to trillions of dollars of debt we’ve already accumulated.

These are not partisan claims or even signs of the apocalypse; they are the macro data of our daily lives in an America that is, now more than ever, worth caring about. And it’s far more important than who would be a better parody on Saturday Night Live.

So please, I implore you, get out and vote, but educate yourself first, because someday — some election year — I’d like to stop telling my only original joke:

How many American voters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

None. They prefer to be left in the dark.

last revised: October 21, 2008

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