Smart Voter from LWV November 2, 1998 General Election

Our Feedback

. . . What Our Users Told Us

We are pleased that so many people took time to write to us. We present some of your feedback here. You have let us know that Smart Voter was instrumental in helping you efficiently make informed decisions.    -- The Smart Voter Project Team

From our Users...

"Thank you for this website. I would not have voted if I hadn't heard about this..." --Santa Clara

"Thanks again for providing the best election resource since the invention of the newspaper." --Hamilton County, OH

"This website is one of the best applications of the Internet that I have ever come across. It is clear, informative, provides information without overkill, and allows me to form my own conclusions without outside bias. Thank you for providing this service!" --Santa Clara

"This site has been of enormous use to me as I plan my voting. I especially value the links which gave me information on supreme court justices. ... Thanks for your help in voting as intelligently as I ever have!" --Alameda

"This is truly incredible. I don't know how you have managed to make voting information available in such an accessible and cognitive way... Great job! ..." --Marin

"...Best informed vote I have ever cast! Thank you for your impartial ... information. Well Done!!" --Marin

"Thanks for the convenient layout and personalized capacity of your Web site. I was struggling to put together the official ... ballot and find my polling place, and everything was either inaccessible or in an unhelpful format. I went to your page ... and suddenly everything heretofore arduous became a breeze." --San Francisco

"BRAVO!! Your site got me exactly the info I needed in one step. I've been procrastinating and dreading the process of trying to [find] my voter info online ever since I lost my print version. ... Thank you!" --San Mateo

"This is Great! It's really nice to be able to read the issues well in advance of the election (instead of just a few days before when they appear in the newspaper) and to find out about the candidates." --Hamilton Co., OH   [Editor's note for residents of California and other states who receive a sample ballot and voter's pamphlet in the mail: Many states, including Ohio, do not send any official voting information to registered voters who must then rely on the media for all information.]

"Wonderful! I can't wait to ... start exploring all the links and get the detail I need to make an informed decision. Thanks for all the good work in the past. Now you make it so easy to get the information, there's no excuse not to participate in our voting process. Thanks again!" --Hamilton Co., OH

"This web site is a wonderful resource for finding out information about how to vote and information about the candidates. I wish all the candidates would take advantage of this opportunity to let the public learn a little bit about them. I will bookmark this site and remember it for future elections. Thanks!" --Davidson Co., TN

"Your site was tremendously useful to me in making better informed decisions - thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" --Marin

"...I was able to learn a lot very quickly and make what I feel were some more informed decisons about voting. " --San Francisco

"This is wonderful! My voter information pamphlet never arrived, so I wouldn't even have known where to go to vote if it weren't for your web site. Thank you!" --San Francisco

"Your site really helped with some particularly confusing propositions. I've recommended your site to all my friends." --Orange

"Nice site with very handy access to all necessary information for making informed decisions. Also, good job of being non-biased in your presentation..." --Snohomish Co., WA

      "This is not only what the Internet was meant for, it is what proactive citizenship is all about!!! Thanks for making my first-time vote in CA so much easier. I truly appreciate it." --San Francisco

"...This is one of the best uses of the internet I've found." --Marin

"An EXCELLENT resource! The information is presented in a logical and organized manner. I have always found exactly what I was looking for within moments. This web page is one of the most useful and timely I've seen. I will be sending a donation in support of the League of Women Voters Education Fund! Thank you very much for a job well done." --Humboldt

"Very much appreciated the "smart voter" features that took me directly to candidates & issues for MY district. What a fantastic time-saver! The links to newspaper articles, speeches, etc. was also greatly appreciated. It was wonderful to go directly to the further detailed information I wanted instead of spending hours scanning newspapers & rummaging thru mountains of irrelevant data. I have noted this website for future use, & now will be able to start my "election studying" much earlier. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR PROVIDING THIS VALUABLE SERVICE!!" --Hamilton Co., OH

"I just want to commend you on a site well done, the information is easy to read and available with quick links. As an african-american woman, I'd like to encourage ALL americans young and old to participate in the political processes. ... Together we can shout... alone it's just a whisper." --San Bernardino

"... Please encourage all candidates to respond. If someone didn't take the time to respond to your info request, why would I vote for them? I won't." --San Francisco

"WOW! Thank you VERY much! An OUTSTANDING service from one of the great organizations left."

"Your SmartVoter site is the best thing to come along since chocolate cake (almost)." --Santa Clara

"This is an excellent site. It is comprehensive yet uncomplicated. I spent 2 hours on it last night, learning about the candidates and the issues. I feel much better informed than I did at this time yesteday! Thank you for this service. --Hamilton Co., OH

On voter assistance...

"I am the director of the [our] Public Library and I want you to know what a great help this web site has been. Every election we get many people calling to find out where their polling place is. In the past we have had to refer them to the City Clerk's office or the Registrar of Voters. Now we can give them the information they need and get them on their way to the polls. It's a great feeling! We also told the City Clerk's office about the site and they said it has been a "godsend" today. This site has made me feel prouder than ever of being a member of the League of Women Voters. Thanks very much!" --Riverside

From Candidates...

"I haven't a single suggestion! Just having this available is beyond anything I would have expected (I am a U.S. Senatorial candidate)!" --Arizona

"As a school board candidate, I am very grateful to the League of Women voters for this opportunity to reach voters. Democracy only works where voters are informed about issues and candidates. The internet is a wonderful way to communicate this information. As a qualified candidate without a war chest bankrolled by rich and powerful special interests, I am especially appreciative of this opportunity to spread the word without the gravy." --Orange

Unless noted, names of counties are in California.
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Copyright © 1998 League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.