How do you vote?

Well, I'm not actually asking how to vote or who you voted for. I'm curious how we come up with our decisions. For instance, do you do a lot of research online, listen to ads, read articles and editorials in the paper, etc. Do you bother researching the "little guys" like (in our local election) the judges and the agricultural comissioners?

Are you influenced by how your friends and family vote?

What do you do when there are more than 2 candidates and your favorite is likely to lose - vote for him anyway or vote for the next best?

Basically - what is your strategy?

DW, son and I read all the stuff the night before, League of Women voters bluebook and than discuss all the points. We make sure all phones are turned off. No television. Just a cup/glass of somethin without alcohol, and the table full of litature.

Takes about 2 hours.

Fill out the ballots and seal them in the envelopes. Go to bed and put the ballots in the drive up ballot box the next day.

I try to do as much research as I can. I do not base my decisions on the tv ads; it's impossible with all the attacking going on. (To be honest? Whenever a political ad comes on, I purposely change the channel.) Same with all the attack mail we've been receiving...it's not worth the paper it's printed on.

Our local League of Women Voters prints a large information packet about the candidates and I will peruse that. I try to go to the debates, when I can....if the debates are held during the day, however, it's impossible. I'll try to watch debates on tv. In other words, I honestly do my best to make an intelligent, logical decision. I do not vote Republican or Democrat (although I'm a registered Democrat, I have voted for Republican candidates in the past). Instead I really try to vote for the person.

Our spring primary is purely based on political parties in PA. So, since I'm registered as a Democrat, I can only vote for Democratic candidates. I have mixed feelings about that.

If I'm satisfied with what's going on right now or I believe that the incumbent is doing a good job, I'll stick with him or her.

ETA: Our local newspaper has been asking the same question to all of the candidates running for a particular office. They'll print what each candidate has to say. I do read those articles because they're interesting.

Living overseas, I'm fortunately spared the ads, phone calls and circulars. I do my own research online, checking websites and the local papers as well as national and international publications. I usually sign up for candidates' email newsletters once the campaigning starts, and send queries as needed.

Family and friends don't influence my votes, though they do seem to vote along the same lines I do. Except for primaries (closed in PA, as Winchester already mentioned), I don't vote according to whom I think has the best chance of winning, but for my favorite candidate.

I do research, but I usually end up voting along my party lines, because those candidates are basically the ones who I agree with and who I believe have a vision similar to mine.

My friends and family don't necessarily vote the way I do. As a matter of fact some of the still send garbage emails without checking facts to sway my opinion. On the other hand, my DH and I vote pretty much the same way and I try to influence him where we disagree

I haven't checked out the League of Women Voters - sounds like a great tip though! I do a lot of online research and read what the candidates say about themselves when asked the same question in the local paper (as Winchester mentioned). I also use fact checking sites to find out who is the most trustworthy. I fill out my sample ballot and bring it with me in case I forget anything, especially when voting on amendments because they can be so confusing.

I voted for a candidate that I don't like very much rather than voting for my favorite because I just plain believe my favorite can't win. I'm less than happy about it, but it seems like a better strategy than helping the candidate I like the least win.

I vote somewhat along party lines, in general. In this election most of my choices were in my party.

I'm glad to see that the members on this site do their best to vote responsibly. of course, I didn't expect anything less.

We read everything we can about each canidate. We go through the night before and print out our ballot and then circle my choices and take it with me to the polling place. This year my nephew is going as well and we're helping talk him through how voting works and how to fill out his ballot, but letting him make all his own choices! I'm so proud of him!

The one thing I never do is listen to advertisements of any kind (television, mail, etc.) My father has always tried to tell me how to vote and I rarely vote for anyone he votes for simply because our views are very different.

I spent the morning researching who was on the ballot in my district. I used several websites for my county. I tend to rule out the candidates that did not answer questions on some of the websites because I feel that is like hiding something.

So, I have my list of who I'm voting for and when I get out of work... off to the polls I go...

I do research on the bigger races, and do what I can on the smaller ones. I don't watch the ads, I'll mute the tv or turn the channel before I'll watch them. I also don't read the flyers that come in the mail. Those land in the recycling bin on my way in the house. I don't listen to the robocalls either. I do watch news and opinion shows (not Fox), and I admit that influences me some. If I know my candidate is likely to lose, I'll vote for them anyway. You never know. And I vote in every election, not just the presidential ones, even the ones where there are only 2 people on the ballot.

I vote for my favorite candidates, regardless of their odds of winning.

This year I went to different web sites to see who they recommended or opposed. I actually went to a website for a group that has extremely different viewpoints as mine and voted for every candidate they opposed.

I look up the background of all the judges, as most people don't bother and there are some of them that have been in there so long that they deserve to retire.

It depends. This time I am hoping some bad apples get ousted (did I spell that right?) at the local level. Also wanted to show support for some people I know, and someone that I don't know but has helped me in the past.

I began researching, but also was planning on picking the people needed to remove the bad apples from Washington. Of course, I agree most with those that I voted for, except on a couple minor issues that will never be changed anyway.

I'll do some research, listen to what folks are saying... I mute the T%#$#$^#$& commercials... Man, they got nasty this time... nastier than I've seen in a while. I do tend to vote along my party line ultimately... mostly because some of the most ruthless garbage seems to be coming out of the other side. I really wish they'd just grow up and behave like the adults they're supposed to be.

It's nice here because we mail in or drop our ballots off in drop boxes. We're not all cramming to polling places on one day. I love that.