Election Resources
From Simmons Library Research Guides
Keeping up with the issues, candidates, news, polls, and gossip surrounding political elections can be challenging. This guides suggests resources to help you find the information needed to be informed, active, and empowered.
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Reference and Background Information
Search for Reference sources that contain information about your specific research topic here:
You may also consult the resources below for overviews of the topic that you have chosen to research. Use these resources to help you to put your topic in context and give you the big picture of what information exists about your topic. These resources may have bibliographies at the end of each entry that can help further your research.
- Federal Election Commission Home Page
Free Online
This is the official web page of the FEC, and it provides every piece of public information about campaign contributions, laws, and other campaign finance related data. Check out the "Quick Answers" section for answers to the most frequently asked questions about fund raising, including how to get on a ballot, how to find out who contributed to a campaign, and how to register a political party group. There is also full text of relevant campaign laws, and all kinds of relevant data available for free.
- Federal Register: U.S. Electoral College
Free Online
Information about the electoral college, upcoming elections, past elections. Also provides general voter resources.
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- MassVOTE
Free Online
The mission of the organization is to "...eliminate barriers and encourage voting, especially among communities of color, language minorities, low income communities, youth, new American citizens, and the disabled." Provides information about where to vote, how to vote, and registration information. Also includes discussions of current issues.
- Polling Report
Free Online
Provides current polls data for the upcoming election for U.S. Congress and Presidential seats.
- Project Vote Smart
Free Online
Do you need to find out which congressmen voted against Children's Health Insurance Program re-authorization? Or who has spoken out publicly about highly contested political issues such as abortion? This web page is a great resource for finding out information about politicians from every state, and every level of government, ranging from how they stand on the issues to how much campaign money they have received. There is also biographical information, contact information, lists of the committees they serve on, links to speeches and statements, and ratings from interest groups.
- ABCs of Identity in the Elections
Free Online
"This edition of The Anti-Bias Classroom offers new lesson plans to help teachers and students explore the roles of racial, ethnic, gender and faith identities in American politics, during this primary season and beyond."
- Elections: The American Way
Free Online
Created for teachers, this multi-media web site provides an accessible way to explore the American Memory Collections of the Library of Congress. It contains an overview of the election process in the United States with links to primary source documents within the collections.
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District, Voter, and Incumbent Profiles
The resources listed in this section provide district, voter, and incumbent profiles; legislative histories, voting records, election results, contact information, and more.
- Congressional Districts in the 2000's
Level 1 Reference JK 1341 .C65 2003
Maps, demographics, and descriptive materials for all U.S. districts.
- Massachusetts Political Almanac
Level 1 Reference JK3130 .A6
This source provides information about all branches of the state government, the U.S. Congressional delegation from Massachusetts, public interest groups, and state agencies. Biographical and contact information, as well as statistics on key votes, priorities, and organization memberships are included for all state office incumbents.
- Politics in America
Simmons Eresource
This source provides in-depth coverage of every member of the United States Congress and all state governor, including biography, election results, contact information, key votes, and interest group ratings. State profiles include salary information for governors and state legislators, population and voter demographics, and election information. The appendix includes US territories profiles, Congressional Committees data, Congressional demographic analysis, campaign finance reports, election analysis, and seniority reports.
- Vital Statistics on American Politics
Simmons Eresource
This source provides information about political parties, elections, public opinions, and voting. It provides historic and current information about members of each branch of the federal government; analysis of foreign, military, economic, and social policy; and even key data about the role and relationship of the media in American politics.
- Washington Information Directory
Free Online
This source provides short descriptions of and contact information for government agencies and NGO's.
Voting Records
- American National Election Studies
Free Online
"The American National Election Studies (ANES) produces high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation to serve the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, policy makers and journalists who want to better understand the theoretical and empirical foundations of national election outcomes."
- America Votes
Level 1 Reference JK 1967 .A8
Provides official, state-certified election returns by county and by district for the House, Senate and gubernatorial elections for each election cycle. It also includes key data on the 2004 presidential election. From the publisher: "Each state-focused chapter includes comprehensive election results, including: popular votes by county (Presidential, Senate, and Gubernatorial), and district (House); summary of votes for primary elections and third party candidates; special elections or appointments...; [a] map with county and district boundaries; [and] a list of all office holders serving."
- Census Voting and Registration Data
Free Online
Information on reported voting and registration by various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics is collected for the nation in November of congressional and presidential election years in the Current Population Survey (CPS). Detailed information from recent surveys and historical trends in selected areas is listed below. Estimates and projections of voting-age population derived from administrative records and Census 2000 are also provided.
- Congress and the Nation
Simmons Eresource
This source covers the American Congress from 1945-2004. It provides legislative histories, voting records, policy analysis, and more. Browse by topic, year, subject index, or search by keyword. "Key Vote Tables" encapsulate Congressional action on important issues.
- Directory of Congressional Voting Scores and Interest Group Ratings
Level 1 Reference JK1051 .S555 2006
This source is useful in determining the actual political tendencies of Congressional incumbents. This source provides a "compilation of CQ voting studies and interest group rating data for every legislator who has served in Congress from 1947 to 2004."
Candidates on the Web
- TechPresident
Free Online
"TechPresident was started by Andrew Rasiej and Micah Sifry as a new group blog that covers how the 2008 presidential candidates are using the web, and vice versa, how content generated by voters is affecting the campaign."
The Issues
- Select Smart
Free Online
This website allows you to select two candidates and compare their views, voting records and statements side by side. However, it does not list the party affiliation for each candidate until after you have selected them.
- Presidential Tracker
Free Online
Provided by the Washington Post, this website profiles each candidate and also reports news, the money they have raised and their events. There is also a "choose your candidate" quiz to find out with which candidate you are most closely aligned.
- On the Issues
Free Online
On the Issues is an easy to navigate breakdown of the voting records and political stances of elected officials.
- Compare the Candidates
Free Online
This interactive web site provides a quick, side-by-side comparison of selected candidates. Also contains links to biographies of candidates and other election related information.
- Politifact
Free Online
Politifact, a service of CQ Researcher and the St. Petersburg Times, aims to sort out the truth in politics. It evaluates candidates statements and the attacks they make on other candidates using graphics to express the truthfulness ranging from "true" to "pants on fire".
Media Coverage on the Web
- Politics Line
Free Online
Provides political commentaries from over 150 of America's greatest pundits updated daily. Commentaries are presented as Left or Right on the political spectrum.
Political Blogs
- Daily Kos
Free Online
A "progressive community blog" commenting on political news.
- Drudge Report
Free Online
A collection of news links from both mainstream and independent news outlets, the Drudge Report often obtains controversial news stories before traditional media outlets.
- Free Republic
Free Online
A Conservative news and discussion forum.
- Lucianne
Free Online
A community news and discussion forum with a Conservative focus.
- Political Wire
Free Online
Political Wire is a blog of political news and commentary by Washington insider Taegan Goddard.
- Politico
Free Online
Politico is a collection of journalists reporting on national politics.
- Slate
Free Online
Free daily online magazine owned by the Washington Post, with commentary about news, culture and current events.
- Wonkette
Free Online
Wonkette is a humorous political commentary blog.
Election History
- Encyclopedia of Presidential Campaigns, Slogans, Issues, and Platforms
Level 1 Reference E176.1 .R6 2004
This one-volume encyclopedia focuses on American political history, campaigns and rhetoric. It contains a chronological listing of the presidential campaigns from 1789 to 2000, as well as an alphabetical listing of presidential campaign slogans, issues, platforms and programs.
- Presidential Winners and Losers
Level 1 Reference E176.1 .V65 2002
This source provides a collection of political victory and concession speeches arranged chronologically.
