I am becoming jaded on talk about personalities rather than issues. Let's switch gears. Refocus on issues.
That said, here's an election-focused bit that could actually make a difference. Try BlueVoterGuide.org (BVG).
I am not a big fan of apps, but I did give BVG a try. Context: Houston elections are a nightmare because the the ballot is crammed with down-ballot races. This November there will be 58 races on the ballot. How is a more-or-less normal person supposed to make sense of this eye-glazing traffic jam? I don't think it's good for small-d democracy, but that's another story.
Many Dem-leaning voters, self included, used to click straight-ticket voting and be done with it. Corrupt Republicans noticed. Starting 2020 they did away with that Dem electoral advantage. "If ya can't beat 'em, cheat 'em!" I believe this cheat didn't hurt the ballot headliners, but did hurt down-ballot races that almost no one cares about. (Quick: Who are the contenders for Texas First District Court of Appeals, Place 6? What are their respective records, and why does it matter? Now multiply by 50x.)
I found BlueVoterGuide.org to be incredibly easy to use. It made assembling my personal voting list quick and simple. By comparison, the state and county ballot guides are a pain in the butt to use — frustrating and time-consuming. I dread it every time. But now there's BVG, a tool independently developed by volunteers.
It's like the old gag: "Amateurs built the Ark; professionals built the Titanic."
I urge you to try https://bluevoterguide.org. As it says in The Phantom Tollbooth: "If not perfectly satisfied, your wasted time will be refunded."
p.s. Hat tip to my colleague Doug, a fellow protester each Tuesday midday, rain or shine, outside the Houston office of Senator Death-- er, Cornyn. Doug tipped me off to awesome time-saving power and simplicity of BVG.
I am becoming jaded on talk about personalities rather than issues. Let's switch gears. Refocus on issues.
That said, here's an election-focused bit that could actually make a difference. Try BlueVoterGuide.org (BVG).
I am not a big fan of apps, but I did give BVG a try. Context: Houston elections are a nightmare because the the ballot is crammed with down-ballot races. This November there will be 58 races on the ballot. How is a more-or-less normal person supposed to make sense of this eye-glazing traffic jam? I don't think it's good for small-d democracy, but that's another story.
Many Dem-leaning voters, self included, used to click straight-ticket voting and be done with it. Corrupt Republicans noticed. Starting 2020 they did away with that Dem electoral advantage. "If ya can't beat 'em, cheat 'em!" I believe this cheat didn't hurt the ballot headliners, but did hurt down-ballot races that almost no one cares about. (Quick: Who are the contenders for Texas First District Court of Appeals, Place 6? What are their respective records, and why does it matter? Now multiply by 50x.)
I found BlueVoterGuide.org to be incredibly easy to use. It made assembling my personal voting list quick and simple. By comparison, the state and county ballot guides are a pain in the butt to use — frustrating and time-consuming. I dread it every time. But now there's BVG, a tool independently developed by volunteers.
It's like the old gag: "Amateurs built the Ark; professionals built the Titanic."
I urge you to try https://bluevoterguide.org. As it says in The Phantom Tollbooth: "If not perfectly satisfied, your wasted time will be refunded."
p.s. Hat tip to my colleague Doug, a fellow protester each Tuesday midday, rain or shine, outside the Houston office of Senator Death-- er, Cornyn. Doug tipped me off to awesome time-saving power and simplicity of BVG.