COMPARE CANDIDATES ONLINE

Baffled by contradictory ads for candidates? Want hard information on which to make up your mind whom to vote for? Think you've made up your mind but would dare to find out more? Well, there's easily accessible help.

On the Internet, go to www.votesmart.org. There “VoteEasy” will show you how the candidate's views compare with yours on a number of important issues. At “Find Your Candidates” you can use your zip code to locate, not only who is running for office in your district, but also their biographies, voting records, issue positions, even campaign finance information.

Project Vote Smart, according to their “Voter's Self-Defense Manual,” is an independent, non-partisan, impartial, nonprofit organization “dedicated to serving all Americans with accurate and unbiased information for electoral decision-making.” It “does not lobby for or against, nor support or oppose any candidate, position or issue.”

If you don't have access to the Internet, you can still get the same help by calling, toll-free, 1-888-VOTESMART (1-888-868-3762).

Brendon Bass

Bethel