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How to research politicians running for public office

The influx of information during election season can be overwhelming, but there are ways to break through the noise.
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — You know it is election season when you start to see campaign signs throughout your neighborhood and political ads in between television commercial breaks. The influx of information can be overwhelming but there are ways to break through the noise.

It starts by becoming an informed voter.

Website, social media, and campaign donations

Whether a person is running for president, school superintendent, or county sheriff, it’s likely they have a website specifically for their campaign.

There you’ll get a better understanding of what topics candidates care about most. Candidates also post direct links to their social media profiles on their website as well as a "donate" button.

In Florida, you can find out how much a local politician raised for their campaign by visiting the Department of State's website.

On the federal level, candidates file their finance reports at the Federal Election Commission

Voting history

If you're curious about whether a house representative or senator voted yea or nay on a topic that interests you, you can find your answer at www.congress.gov

Some of the committee votes are listed on the site as well. 

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