Adulting 101: Keeping up with the Candidates: Home
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Welcome
This guide supports and supplements the curriculum of Adulting 101: Keeping Up with the Candidates, a civic literacy workshop put on by the Robert B. House Undergraduate Library. The workshop provides search strategies and tools for finding the most accurate, current information about political candidates and issues.
Prepare to Vote
Before you go to the polls, visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement website to find information about voting dates and locations, voter registration requirements, local candidates, and campaign finance.
Register to Vote
Even if you think you are registered to vote, check to make sure that your name appears on the electoral roll for the district where you plan to vote.
- North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement - Voter SearchIf you're planning to vote in North Carolina, check here to make sure you are registered.
- Vote.orgIt takes just 30 seconds to check your voter registration status in any state on Vote.org.
Selected Reliable Sources for Researching Candidates
Activity One
Consider the following questions:
- What is one issue that is important to you?
- Why does this issue matter to you?
- How could candidates address the issue?
Online Sources
- BallotpediaBallotpedia is an online encyclopedia that provides accurate, nonpartisan information about political topics. The homepage includes a "sample ballot lookup tool," which allows users to enter their home address and find information about ballot measures for the upcoming election.
- ISideWithA quiz that determines the presidential candidate whose views on key issues align the most with your own.
News Sources
- All Sides - Media Bias RatingsAll Sides provides media bias rankings for a variety of different news sources, and also allows users to vote in agreement or disagreement with these rankings.
- New York Times Academic PassSign up for the New York Times Academic Pass to get access to a plethora of NYTimes.com content and NYTimes.com mobile apps.
Workshop Activity
Use the news and other online resources provided in this guide to research an issue and candidate for office. To guide your research, answer the questions on the Elections Worksheet.
Activity Two
Select one political candidate and use news and other online sources to find information about them. As you research, look for the following information:
- Which newspapers, if any, have endorsed your candidate?
- Do these newspapers have a political affiliation or bias? If not, what types of readers do the newspapers attract?
- Which companies, individuals, and other groups have donated money to your candidate's campaign?
- Based on your candidate's campaign website, how do you think they will vote on your issue?
- How has the candidate discussed your issue in public appearances?
- Is the candidate's message consistent with their campaign website?
- What questions do you still have about your candidate's stance on your issue?
Online Sources
- BallotpediaBallotpedia is an online encyclopedia that provides accurate, nonpartisan information about political topics. The homepage includes a "sample ballot lookup tool," which allows users to enter their home address and find information about state and local candidates for their upcoming election.
- Federal Election CommissionThe Federal Election Commission provides campaign finance data for Senate, House of Representatives, and Presidential candidates. This includes the total amount of money raised and spent by the candidate in each election cycle.
- Follow the MoneyFollow the Money is a database created by the National Institute on Money in Politics, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that "[compiles] comprehensive campaign-donor, lobbyist, and other information from government disclosure agencies nationwide and [makes] it freely available."
- America's News
Over 6,300 U.S. newspapers including 200+ in North Carolina: - The (Raleigh) News & Observer full-text articles (1991-present)
- The (Raleigh) News & Observer full images (March 2018-present)
- The (Greensboro) News & Record (1906-present)
- The Charlotte Observer (1886-present).
- Asheville Citizen-TimesText only, 1999-present.
See also Full-images from 1991-2010
- Newspaper Source PlusOver 1,500 US and foreign newspapers, including 50 from North Carolina. News transcripts from TV and radio. 1990s-present.
- North Carolina Newspapers
African-American, student, and community newspapers from around North Carolina. Some major papers as well. From DigitalNC. Dates vary.
- Our State.
- Digitized through the State Library of North Carolina. Dates: 1933-2011.
- North Carolina News Network (NCNN)
Includes the current and previous days' audio clips. - NCPA
North Carolina Press Association. View their members by city.
Public Radio
- WUNC, Chapel Hill
Includes daily news coverage, the State of Things, and more.
- WFAE, Charlotte
Includes daily news coverage, Charlotte Talks, and more.
Selected Reliable Sources for Researching Political Candidates
Additional Resources
- FiveThirtyEightThe politics section of FiveThirtyEight includes forecasts as well as a variety of other data-based articles and podcasts on political topics.
- ProQuest CongressionalComprehensive source of current and historical U.S. Congressional material, including bills, testimony, reports, documents, selected prints, the Congressional Record, the U.S. Code, Federal Register, and the Code of Federal Regulations.
- UNC Institute of Politics (IOP)UNC's Institute of Politics is a student organization that "aims to engage and inspire students, particularly undergraduates, to pursue careers in politics and public service."
