Vote Smart

Founded by 40 national leaders including Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, Vote Smart's Voter's Self-Defense System took 16 years to build and includes the voting records, backgrounds, issue positions, campaign contributions, interest group ratings, and public statements of more than 40,000 candidates and elected officials.

This information, as well as ballot measures and voter registration information is available through votesmart.org, the Voter's Research Hotline (1-888-VOTE SMART), free publications (like the Voter's Self-Defense Manual), and our new mobile application OnPoint. Vote Smart has been made possible by over 100,000 liberal and conservative fellow citizens. No funds are accepted from lobbyists, corporations, unions or others that support or oppose candidates. As a volunteer-based organization, Vote Smart will survive on individual small contributions or not at all.