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About Inform The Vote

Our Mission

  • Timeline

    • NJ Globe article about unknown candidates
    As a citizen who started with genuine curiosity about our upcoming election candidates, I found myself increasingly concerned about the state of our local elections. The concern eventually boils down to: Our citizens should be ‘fully informed’ rather than ‘slightly informed’ regarding elections, especially when pro-actively seeking out the information. (see Our Process) I believe that an informed, participatory citizenry is the cornerstone of any functioning democracy. Given the resources and technology available in 2023, there should already be a comprehensive system in place for informing voters well ahead of election day. This system should deliver essential, easy- to-digest information about candidates, issues, and voting procedures so that citizens can make well-informed decisions. If we fail to meet these minimum standards, we risk undermining the integrity of our elections.

    The Ideal System Should:

    1. Provide Timely and Accessible Information:
      • 1) Information should be disseminated at least one month before any election and updated monthly during campaign seasons to ensure voters have ample time to make well- informed decisions.
      • 2) For instance, a link to a comprehensive site that consolidates all relevant voting information should be provided with sample ballots that are mailed to voters.
      • 3) Additionally, a link to the comprehensive site should be prominently displayed on a reasonable array of marketing mediums, including not only traditional platforms but also modern ones such as social media channels.
    2. Public Appearances Calendar:
      • 1) A regularly updated calendar of all public appearances, forums, and debates where candidates will be present.
      • 2) Candidates are required to make at least one public appearance per month.
      • 3) These events should be primarily focused on enabling candidates to speak at length with curious citizens and provide them with meaningful information, as opposed to regular commissioner meetings or casual county events not primarily aimed at informing the electorate.
    3. Meet a Minimum Standard for Candidate Information:
      • 1) A detailed agenda outlining their goals and visions.
      • 2) Policy proposals directly associated with achieving these goals.
      • 3) Positions on recent or ongoing popular issues relevant to the office they seek.
      • 4) Influence and stances on popular issues they could impact, even indirectly.
      • 5) A comparison between their policy positions and those of their opponents.
      • 6) A summary of their experience, highlighting relevant roles and noting indirect experience where applicable.
      • 7) Relevant biographical information.
    4. Accountability Measures:
      5. Should the above standards not be met, the integrity of the election could be called into question, leading to possible investigations, fines, or even the voiding of the election itself to preserve the democratic process.

    Our Process: A Journey from Curiosity to Concern

    The Beginning: Phase 1

    When I received my sample primary ballot in the mail, I naturally assumed there would be a straightforward way to learn about the candidates. To my surprise, the ballot provided no direct link or website for candidate-related information. Rooted in the belief that in our modern, information-rich society, finding basic details about those running for public office should be a simple task, I initiated a general Google search. I fully expected a plethora of easily accessible information. That was not the case. Furthering my efforts, I directly reached out to the candidates but was met with just one insufficient response.

    The Beginning: Phase 2 - Frustration

    After the primary election, what began as reasonable curiosity morphed into reasonable concern. I expended almost a month trying to reach out to the candidates through all conceivable avenues: emails, social media, phone numbers, mailing addresses, and even the local newspaper. I still came up empty-handed. This underscored the fact that the existing system was woefully inadequate for a citizen genuinely interested in making an informed vote.

    Hope

    Thankfully, I thought of contacting the mayor, who was accessible, communicative, and helpful. He understood the need to reach out to the political parties and request more accessibility. This led to the republican party reaching out to me to suggest their website, which I already knew about and was insufficient. However, I remembered they had an upcoming bi-weekly breakfast and was able to confirm that those breakfasts are in fact open to the public (with RSVP and $15 cover). This breakfast was a good way to get myself more involved directly in the process. However, keep in mind that by this point, showing up at this breakfast was basically like starting at day 1 to inform my vote, even though I had already spent 6 weeks looking for information. Not only this, but as any newcomer to a group or organization, that breakfast was basically my chance to say hello and briefly talk about a few issues. This is not the robust, comprehensive source of information I need to make an informed vote, it’s just an introduction. Someone at the breakfast mentioned Deerfield Day, an event where the republicans and democrats would be available to talk at length…. But literally later that same afternoon. Thankfully, I had the afternoon off and was available. This event was probably the real beginning of me having at least some idea of what was going on and having enough time to speak at length with any of the 16 candidates running for office…. Nearly six weeks after starting the process. Even with that being acknowledged, about only a handful of the 16 candidates were present during the nearly 2 hours I was there. As I continued this process, it became clear that being available for such last-minute engagements and persistent searching for basic information isn't something the average citizen could easily do. The system should not require voters to go above and beyond to become informed.

    The Struggle Continued

    Over the next month, I decided to show up to public events in the hopes that literal attendance would increase my involvement, and then hopefully increase my election based knowledge. I attended commissioner meetings to gain an understanding of current county issues like The Middle Mile grant, water/sewage modernization, and the Nabb Ave extension. While these meetings were informative in general, they failed to help me understand where the various candidates stood on these issues, except for a few incumbents and candidates who happened to be present. I also attended local events like food festivals and winery promotions, as sometimes candidates will show up to engage with the community. These events were disappointments; they provided no insight into the elections as they are not set up for direct interaction with voters seeking information about candidates. Despite my best efforts, I realized I was only becoming "slightly informed" rather than "fully informed," and this is where the system fails us. The standard should be for voters to be "fully informed," and anything less undermines the democratic process. Without regularly scheduled, focused events and a centralized information hub, the cycle of gaps in knowledge and participation continues. At one point when attempting to attend a Democrat meet and greet, I was immediately confronted and told that I was not welcome because "I ask too many questions." It seems as though the county is content with going through the motions of having an election, making sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed regarding the appearance of a quality election, without making sure the public is actually informed.

    Our Suggestion - The Legislative Solution: A Call to Action

    Given the gaping holes in the current system, it's clear that piecemeal efforts to keep citizens informed are not sufficient. It's time for legislative action to standardize and enforce a more robust, transparent electoral process. We propose the drafting of a comprehensive bill that codifies the aforementioned standards into law.

      Here's what the bill would aim to accomplish:

    1. Centralized Information Hub: A government-run or government-endorsed platform that provides comprehensive information on all candidates running in county elections.
    2. Timely and Accessible Information: The bill would mandate that all relevant election information be made available at least one month prior to any election and that updates are provided on a regular, monthly basis during campaign seasons. This would include providing links to this information in all official election communications, such as sample ballots, as well as on various marketing mediums.
    3. Mandatory Public Appearances: All candidates would be required to make at least one public appearance per month focused on in-depth interaction with citizens. These events should not be routine commissioner meetings or casual county events but should be aimed explicitly at informing voters.
    4. Accountability Mechanisms: The bill would also introduce stringent oversight and accountability measures, including the possibility of fines or voiding an election, to ensure compliance with these new standards.
    Instituting these requirements by law would eliminate the guesswork and frustration many voters face, raising the standard from "slightly informed" to "fully informed." By setting this as the new baseline, we can fortify the integrity of our electoral process, ensuring that it truly reflects the will of an informed electorate.