Elections

Oregon Primary & Local Elections 2008
Local Information
Presidential Election 2008
International Elections Resources
Election History
General Resources on Elections, Voting and the Political Process

Databases

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Alternative Press Index (1991-present)Alternative Press Index (1991-present)

Alternative Press Index Archive (1969-1990)Alternative Press Index Archive (1969-1990)

CQ Researcher

Electric Library

Ethnic NewsWatch

Facts.com

NewsBank Online Portal

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

Oregon Primary & Local Elections 2008

On May 20, Oregonians will get their chance to vote in the state primary election, and local issues will be on the ballot in both May and November. The sites below can assist you in being an informed voter. See Local Information below for even more information about Oregon, Multnomah County, Portland, and Washington state elections.

League of Women Voters of Oregon: http://www.lwvor.org/

The Oregon chapter of the League of Women Voters publishes non-partisan voters' guides for each election, as well as reports on many electoral and political issues of interest to Oregonians.
Oregon Follow the Money: http://www.oregonfollowthemoney.org/

Find out who gave money to various political candidates and ballot measure campaigns in Oregon, and see how much money each donor contributed.
Oregon 2008 Presidential Primary and Superdelegates: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Oregon_2008_presidential_primary_and_superdelegates

Are you wondering who Oregon's Democratic Party superdelegates are? This site lists them all, and provides information about which candidates they've endorsed.
Oregonian: Voter Guide: http://thevoterguide.oregonlive.com/

Are you wondering how the candidates in a city, county, or statewide race compare? OregonLive asked candidates from around the state to provide information about themselves and their positions on the issues, and you can compare their answers here. You'll also find articles about Portland's mayoral race, and the 2008 presidential election.

Local Information

Are you looking for your elected official or the Elections Division in your county? Are you trying to find a candidate's campaign headquarters? Are you interested in Oregon's election laws? The following resources help you find information at the state, city and county levels in Oregon. (You can find information about Oregon's 2008 Primary Election above.)

Oregon Elections Division: http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/elechp.htm

Here you can find voter resources for the primary election, including the Voting in Oregon Guide in Spanish, comprehensive information about the candidates, voting and election laws and campaign finance. Track the status of initiatives, look at how much has been spent on an initiative by a committee, and use the ORESTAR database to find detailed information about candidates and committees. Track the history of Oregon elections back to 1995.
Portland Elections Division: http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=26642

Find current and historical information on Portland city elections. Learn about local election laws & regulations, Oregon's city campaign finance regulations, Portland's public financing for city campaigns, and research past contributions to city candidates and PACs. You can also find election news updates, a list of upcoming Portland elections with dates and positions, and a list of initiative and referendum petition logs for the 2008 elections, with detailed information about each.
Multnomah County Elections Division: http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/elect/

This resource contains information about current and upcoming elections, including the May 20 primary election. Find historical election results and links to other Oregon election agencies too. You can find voting resources including a Spanish language version of the voter registration card, locate your elected officials and political party information or consult a calendar of 2008 election-related events and deadlines.
Washington Elections Division: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/

Find information about elections, voting, caucuses, candidates and political parties in the state of Washington.

Presidential Election 2008

Resources for Voters
Ballot Measures
The Electoral Process
Primaries and Caucuses
Party Nominating Conventions
Candidates & Issues
News

Resources for Voters

Whether you're a first-time voter or an old hand, these sites can help you with the practical side of voting.

Declare Yourself: http://www.declareyourself.com/

Are you eager to learn about voting, register to vote, and get yourself ready for the election? This nonpartisan site is designed just for you! Find state by state voting and eligibility requirements, a voting FAQ as well as information about primaries, caucuses, conventions and the electoral process.
Felony Disenfranchisement: http://www.sentencingproject.org/IssueAreaHome.aspx?IssueID=4

Find information about the voting rights of people with previous felony convictions, including which states bar ex-felons from voting altogether, and the steps ex-felons have to take to restore their voting rights in states that do allow them to vote.
National Student/Parent Mock Election: http://www.nationalmockelection.org/

Kids and families can encourage political participation too! Find out how to participate in a mock election in your community, get curriculum resources about voting and the political process, and see results of previous mock elections.
New Voters Project: http://www.newvotersproject.org/

This project is dedicated to encouraging newly eligible voters to get involved in the election process and to vote. Locate research on how many young people have turned out for the caucuses and primaries, register to vote, find your polling place, and learn how to become involved.
Project Vote Smart: http://www.vote-smart.org/

Find voting records, biographical information on the candidates arranged by state, interest group ratings, campaign finances, positions on issues, public statements and more.
Rock the Vote | blog | rss/xml feed: http://www.rockthevote.org/

If you're a young person interested in voting and the political process, Rock the Vote is a great place to start. Find information on how to vote, get information about the 2008 primary in your state, view a map showing how many young voters have turned out to primaries so far, and keep up with election news on the Rock the Vote blog.
Vote411: http://www.vote411.org/

If you are looking for basic information about how voting works, who is eligible to vote, what kind of identification is required to vote or to register to vote, and what kind of voting machines the different states use, this nonpartisan site from the League of Women Voters can help.
Voting Rights: http://www.aclu.org/votingrights/index.html

Learn about current controversies related to voting rights from this website sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Association. You'll find information about voters' rights in the states and information about the voting rights of military personnel, prisoners and ex-convicts, and rural residents. If you're looking for local information, you can also check out the Oregon and Washington ACLU websites.

Ballot Measures

In Oregon and many other states, laws can be made directly by the popular vote of citizens. There are two kinds of ballot measures: referendums which are referred from the state legislature to the voters, and initiatives, which are put on the ballot as a result of signature petitions signed by registered voters. These websites can help you learn about the history and future of ballot measures and other methods of direct democracy.

Ballot Initiative Strategy Center: http://www.ballot.org

This organization advocates for ballot initiative reform from a progressive perspective, and provides information about ballot measure campaigns nationwide. Find information about current measures on the ballot across the nation, read overviews of election results, and learn about the rules for how to get an intitiative on the ballot in each state.
Direct Democracy: Initiatives and Referendums: http://www.osbar.org/public/vote/InitiativeProcess.htm

Find answers to your questions about how ballot measures work, and their history in Oregon.
Initiative & Referendum Institute: http://www.iandrinstitute.org/

Are you curious about ballot measures across the US? Find reports about ballot measure results and trends, quick facts about initiatives and referendums, and information about how ballot measures work in the different states.
List of Oregon Ballot Measures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oregon_ballot_measures

Find information about Oregon ballot measures from 1966 through the present in this article from the encyclopedia Wikipedia.

The Electoral Process

Are you curious about the history of presidential elections in the United States? Do you need to know how the electoral college works, what qualifications a person needs to be eligible to run for president, or how the candidates are paying for their campaigns? Turn to these sites for answers!

Campaign Finance Institute: http://www.cfinst.org/

This think tank website offers nonpartisan discussion of many issues related to campaign finance in congressional and presidential election campaigns. You'll find reports on developments in federal campaign finance law, political parties and interest groups and how they affect the funding of political campaigns, and information about current issues in the news.
Election Law Blog | rss/xml feed: http://electionlawblog.org/

The law of politics and the politics of law is the focus of Loyola Law Professor Rick Hasen's blog. Topics include campaign finance, legislation, voting rights, initiatives, redistricting and the Supreme Court nomination process. This informal-looking blog is actually brimming with valuable links and references to resources related to election law.
Pew Center on the States: http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org

Find nonpartisan news, information and analysis about political issues and trends in the United States, including voting and the elections. Learn about efforts to improve the elections process, read news and analysis about election reform, and read the recently published report on the role of the internet in the current presidential campaign.
Fairvote.org | blog | rss/xml feed | podcast: http://www.fairvote.org/

Find the latest news about election reform and the move to increase voter participation, and read reports on a wide array of election issues, from the Center for Voting and Democracy. The Innovative Analysis series discusses a new election-related issue every few weeks.
Federal Election Commission: http://www.fec.gov/

Political campaigns need money to function, and the Federal Election Commission is responsible for administering and enforcing federal laws about campaign financing. Their website has maps, general information, and detailed data about donations to presidential and congressional candidates' campaigns, and where that money came from.
Race for the White House: Banking on Becoming President: http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.asp

This site shows data on campaign contributions and spending for the 2008 presidential election, with information for each major Republican and Democratic candidate. Do you want to know if men are donating to the same or different candidates than women? Are you wondering how much money is raised by the political parties? Do you need to know how much money has been donated from each state? This website can help!
U.S. Electoral College: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/

The official site of the Electoral College has historical election results, answers to frequently asked questions, and a section devoted to the Electoral College and the 2008 presidential election.
U.S. Presidential Election 2008: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._presidential_election%2C_2008

An encyclopedia article from Congresspedia, with a broad overview of the 2008 presidential election, including information about political parties, debates, primaries, political advertising, and more.
WatchBlog: Political News, Opinions & Commentary | rss/xml feeds: Democrats, Independents, Republicans: http://www.watchblog.com/

A multiple-editor weblog divided into three major political affiliations, each with its own blog: the Democrats & Liberals, Third Party & Independents, and Republicans & Conservatives. The purpose of this blog is to help you decide among a variety of opinions. Posting by editors representing each major party is done on a regular basis.

Caucuses and Primaries

Political parties cooperate with the states and territories to hold primary elections or caucuses to help them select their party nominees for the presidential race. These sites can help you understand how primaries and caucuses work, find out which states have which, and keep tabs on their progress. See the News section for current information about primary and caucus results!

CQ Politics: 2008 Primary Guide | Polltracker blog: http://innovation.cq.com/primaries

Use the state map to locate primaries and caucuses, check the current status of state delegate numbers, find information about historical primaries back to 1912, and read how the local papers are covering their primaries. The Polltracker blog tracks key national and state polls, key Senate, House and Governor races, and public opinion polls you should know about to stay informed.
How do Caucuses Work?: http://people.howstuffworks.com/question721.htm

A brief essay explaining how caucuses work, and outlining the differences between caucuses and presidential primary elections. The Iowa caucus (the first race of the presidential election year) is used as an example.
Primary Election: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election

This encyclopedia article from Wikipedia explains the history of primary elections, and how they work in various races, including the U.S. presidential election. Includes links to many other encyclopedia articles about the U.S. primary election system.

Party Nominating Conventions

After the caucuses and primaries are over, each party gathers to finalize their selection of a presidential candidate. This gathering is known as a nominating convention. These websites can help you learn about how the conventions work, what's happening at them this election cycle, and even a little bit about the history of past nominating conventions!

Democratic National Convention | blog | rss/xml feed: http://www.demconvention.com/

The official site of the Democratic National Convention features information for delegates and the press, as well as a list of answers to frequently asked questions.
Republican National Convention: http://www.gopconvention.com/

The official site of the Republican National Convention is full of information about the convention. The history and frequently asked questions are very helpful if you want to learn about past conventions, or about the practicalities of the Republican National Convention.
Unconventional Action: http://www.unconventionalaction.org/

This online organizing network aims to help protesters of both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions meet, share ideas, learn about protest goals and strategy, and build connections.
Re-create 68: Denver DNC 2008: http://recreate68.org/

Learn about planned protests against the Democratic National Convention, from this coordinating website. Read the group's philosophy, find details about protest events, and more.
ProtestRNC2008.org: http://protestrnc2008.org/

This protest coordinating site includes information about planned protests against the Republican National Convention, a People's Networking Conference that will take place before the convention, and other protest and organizing events.
Superdelegate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdelegate

Have you been stumped by all the talk about superdelegates in the press? This brief article from the encyclopedia Wikipedia gives a basic introduction to who and what superdelegates are. The focus is on superdelegates in the Democratic Party, but the article provides some information about the Republican equivalent to superdelegates as well.
Superdelegate Transparency Project: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Superdelegate_Transparency_Project

Are you looking for more information about Democratic Party superdelegates? This site lists the superdelegates from each state and territory, and provides information about which candidates they've endorsed.
How Political Conventions Work: http://people.howstuffworks.com/political-convention.htm

Do you need some basic information on how political conventions function? This brief encyclopedia article discusses the nuts and bolts of conventions, and even highlights a few famous conventions of the past.
Presidential Nominating Conventions and Television: http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/P/htmlP/presidential/presidential.htm

This brief article from the Museum of Broadcast Communications's Encyclopedia of Television discusses the history of televised political conventions starting in 1948, the first year a convention was partially televised.

Candidates & Issues

Do you want to know more about a specific candidate? Even though political candidates have many opportunities to share their views, it can be challenging to discover their positions on a particular issue that is important to you. These websites can help you learn more about the different people running for president in 2008, and the issues they are talking about.

Candidates in the 2008 Presidential Campaign: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Campaigns_in_the_United_States_presidential_election%2C_2008

The encyclopedia Wikipedia lists articles about candidates in the 2008 presidential election. Each article contains general information about the campaign, and at the bottom you should find a link to the campaign's official website.
FactCheck.org | rss/xml feed: http://www.factcheck.org/

Sometimes when campaign ads make a claim, or when a politician says something important in a speech, it is difficult to find out the background on the issue. This site brings together information that can help you check the factual claims that candidates, political campaigns, and elected officials make.
Politifact.com | rss/xml feed: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

PolitiFact vets statements made by the campaigns in ads, speeches and debates, and provides articles and facts supporting or refuting the statements. Use the truth-o-meter to view the latest statements reviewed, or read recent news articles on the 2008 presidential election by staff of Congressional Quarterly and the St. Petersburg Times. An attack file examines the facts behind statements made by candidates about each other.

News

If you're eager to see how the presidential race is going, keep track of primary election results, and read recent news stories or editorial opinions, these sites should help get you started.

Topix: 2008 Presidential Election News | rss/xml feed: http://www.topix.net/news/2008-presidential-election

Find news, opinions, and information about the 2008 presidential elections from thousands of newspapers, blogs, television station websites, and wire services.
Alternet: Election 2008 | rss/xml feed: http://www.alternet.org/election08/

Read presidential election news and opinion from a variety of magazines, blogs, and newspapers, all with a progressive perspective.
CNN: ElectionCenter 2008 | podcast | primary election results: Democrats, Republicans: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/

Here you can find news and views about the presidential election, including topics like campaign financing and the presidential debates. A special section gives a brief introduction to how the presidential election works, and another explains facts about the delegates to party conventions. Or, play the interactive election game Delegate Counter, which allows you to model the outcome of the remaining Democratic primaries and see how that would affect the delegate counts.
Guardian: US Election 08: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections08/

Coverage of the 2008 U.S. presidential elections from a British newspaper, with news stories, opinion pieces, stories about the candidates, and background about U.S. elections. Includes links to archived features on past U.S. elections, and an election news blog.
Gulf News: US Elections: http://www.gulfnews.com/indepth/uselections/index.html

Are you wondering what news people in the Middle East are seeing about the US presidential elections? This daily newspaper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates offers news and local opinion (in English) about the campaign.
National Review Online: Campaign 08 Total Coverage: http://election.nationalreview.com/

Read opinion and viewpoints on the 2008 presidential elections from a conservative perspective.
New York Times: Presidential Election of 2008 | rss/xml feed | primary election results: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/presidential_election_of_2008/

Find news stories and op-ed columns on the 2008 presidential elections, including primary election results, details about each campaign's finances, a schedule of candidate's public appearances and photos.
NPR: Election 2008 | rss/xml feed | podcast: http://www.npr.org/templates/topics/topic.php?topicId=1102

News coverage of the 2008 presidential elections, including stories about campaigns in specific states, issues and debates, campaign spending, voting, and related topics. Get My Vote presents thoughtful commentaries from readers, and a special section features articles about different political constituencies and their views on the election.
Oregonian: Politics & Elections | rss/xml feed: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/

Information about the national elections from a local perspective, with an election news blog, articles about the election and the candidates from the Oregonian, profiles of the candidates, and links to political parties, local resources for voters, and other elections and politics related resources.
USA Today: 2008 Election Coverage | rss/xml feed: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/

News about the presidential election, with special sections on the candidates, the issues, current opinion polls, videos & photos, the delegates, and election results.
You Tube: You Choose '08: http://www.youtube.com/youchoose

Watch videos about the candidates and their views on education, energy, healthcare, immigration, Iraq, and the economy, as well as videos from and about the YouTube-sponsored debates and Super Tuesday. Some videos are provided by the candidates and their campaigns, but many are by regular people from around the nation and the world.

International Elections Resources

Use these sites to compare election systems around the world, find election results from other countries, and learn about elections monitoring.

ACE Electoral Knowledge Network: http://www.aceproject.org/

Get answers to questions about election registration, vote counting, and ballot characteristics around the world using comparative data, or take a look at a calendar of upcoming elections around the world.
The Carter Center Democracy Program: http://www.cartercenter.org/peace/democracy/index.html

Find a list of countries where elections are monitored by the Carter Center, and read reports on their work observing elections and the electoral process in different parts of the world.
Center for Research on Direct Democracy: http://www.c2d.ch/index.php

If you're curious about ballot measures in countries outside the U.S., this research organization in Switzerland can be a good place to start. Find out about direct democracy laws in their Direct Democracy Databases, read recent news, or browse the Center's research reports and online library.
Election Guide | rss/xml feed: http://eguide.dd.ifes.org/index.php

This resource helps you locate information about presidential, parliamentary, legislative and referendum elections by country from 1998 forward. Find explanations and descriptions of government structure and electoral systems around the world, dates of elections past and present, and numbers of registered voters in each country. Use the map to see all the upcoming elections in a specific region.
Electoral Geography 2.0: http://www.electoralgeography.com/new/en/

Find maps and graphs showing election results from recent and historical elections around the world.
Electoral Resources on the Internet | blog | rss/xml feed: http://www.electionresources.org/

Research news and results from elections around the globe, together with an impressive collection of links to other websites providing international election history, results, and information.
United Nations Electoral Assistance Division: http://www.un.org/Depts/dpa/ead/

Find reports on United Nations activities in countries that have requested election monitoring assistance, such as Afghanistan, the Occupied Palestine Territory, and the Congo. This division of the United Nations is responsible for electoral assistance activities, advising the Secretary-General on requests from member states, and ensuring consistency in the delivery of electoral assistance by the United Nations.

Election History

Democracy in the United States has a fascinating and complex history! Use these sites to find election results from the past, learn how the electoral process has evolved and learn more about significant election issues through time.

Election Statistics: http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/

The Clerk of the House collects statistics showing how past Congressional and presidential elections turned out. You can find information about national elections from 1920 through 2006.
Elections: The American Way: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/election/home.html

This introduction to the electoral system in the United States was created for teachers, but is helpful for anyone who needs an overview of how U.S. elections work. Topics include requirements to be a presidential candidate, who can vote and how this has changed over time, the political party system, how presidents are elected (including the primary system and electoral votes), and significant election issues through time. You can find a basic explanation of political conventions here as well.
Forging the Oregon Constitutional Process: Have you ever wondered how Oregon developed its system for revising the state Constitution? This article from a longer history of the Oregon Constitution explains how William U'Ren sparked a movement that eventually resulted in the "Oregon System" — today's referendum and initiative process.
The History of Televised Presidential Debates: http://www.museum.tv/debateweb/html/index.htm

This exhibit from Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications explores televised presidential debates from 1960 to 2000 with videos, photographs, and other documentary evidence of the debates, their public reception, and their impact on the voters. A special section provides curriculum resources for teachers. The museum also has other resources about televised presidential debate history.
The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials 1952-2004: http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us

Political campaign advertisements are an important way for candidates to deliver their messages to voters—at this exhibit you can watch dozens of television campaign ads from the last fifty years. Or, take a look at web advertising videos created for the 2004 presidential campaign, some created by candidates, and others by individuals and public interest groups.
Vote: The Machinery of Democracy: http://americanhistory.si.edu/vote/

Explore the history of voting machines at this exhibit from the Smithsonian. Find out how ballots and voting systems have evolved over the years as a response to political, social and technological change. Examine samples of voting technology from paper ballots to punch cards, and voting systems of today and the future.

General Resources on Elections, Voting and the Political Process

These resources can help you find information on a variety of topics such as campaign finance, voting systems in the United States, and public opinion polls.

Election Center: http://www.electioncenter.org/

Find information about election legislation, government reports about the election process, technical information about voting machines and processes, and other information of interest to local election officials, at this site from the National Association of Election Officials.
Greg's List-Useful Links for Political Info: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=21

Greg Giroux, senior writer for Congressional Quarterly, recommends the best links on politics to keep you informed. Categories include opinion polls, women in politics, state legislatures, governors, national party conventions and more.
Multnomah County Library Homework Center: Elections and Voting: http://www.multcolib.org/homework/govhc.html#elect

Find information suitable for children and youth about the 2008 election, the electoral college, past campaigns, and the election process.
The Polling Report: http://www.pollingreport.com/

Track how Americans think about a variety of topics, including the 2008 presidential election. Take a test to see who is your likely candidate, and check out polls about major issues in the news, including abortion, national security, social security and more.
Statistics: Polls: What do the Numbers Tell Us?: http://www.learner.org/interactives/statistics/activity0/frontpoll.phtml

We often hear the results of opinion polls in election-related news stories, but what do these poll results really mean? This guide explains how polls work, and defines terms like "random sample" and "margin of error."
U.S.A. Elections in Brief: http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/elections-in-brief/

A brief introduction to the federal election process that includes discussions of primary and general elections, the role of political parties, presidential nominations, congressional elections, polls and pundits, financing campaigns, and U.S. elections procedures. Produced and maintained by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs.
U.S. Conference of Mayors: Mayoral Elections Center: http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/elections/99elections.asp

Locate information on mayoral elections across the United States. Users may search the database by city, state, political party, or name of candidate. Searches yield city name, state, party and name of election winner, percentage of votes earned by winner, and month of election.
Voting System: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_system

How do different voting systems work? This article from Wikipedia explains decision-making processes that don't usually get considered when discussing elections in the U.S., explains technical terms, discusses the history of different decision-making methods, and provides a bibliography of sources for more information.

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