Hi Callers!

Welcome back to 5 Minute Midterms! By now you should have all your bases covered for being able to vote: you're registered, you know your dates and deadlines, and you have the ID you need. Now we're talking about what happens once you have your ballot in hand. Get ready for Week 4:

Know Your Ballot

Election Day will be here before you know it, and if you're voting early or by mail, it’s even sooner! It's time to decide who and what you're voting for. By the way, if your state offers early voting we strongly suggest you vote early if possible.

You probably already know how you're voting at the top of the ticket, but we strongly encourage you to do your homework all the way down the ballot. We'll hook you up with resources to get to know every race and measure, right down to school board and city council. Note: Please don’t use AI to do your ballot prep for you — they’re known to make stuff up.

The last thing you want is to show up at the polls unprepared, or put off filling out and returning your ballot because you haven't gotten around to the research. We’re NOT procrastinating this year! So let's start now. You'll feel better!

Week 4 To-Dos:

Find Your Sample Ballot
Your ballot is specific to where you live, down to your precinct. Have you looked at a sample ballot yet? It's the easiest way to see every race and question you'll be voting on before the big day.

Research Local Races
Local offices like school board, county commissioner, sheriff, district attorney, and judges often get decided by a handful of votes, and they shape your day-to-day life more than you might think. Do you know who's running and what they stand for? Who’s endorsing them?

Research Ballot Measures (aka Referendums, Propositions, Constitutional Amendments)
Measures can be confusingly worded, and a "yes" vote doesn't always mean what you'd expect. Local newspapers and organizations are a good place to start learning more about what a measure really means for your community.

Write It Down
Once you've done your research, mark up your sample ballot or jot down your choices on a notepad or notes app.

Week 4 TL;DR
Look up your sample ballot, research every race and measure (not just the big ones), and write down your choices so you're ready to go. You don't have to vote on everything. If you run out of time, leaving a few races blank is better than not voting at all. But we’re here to help you do your homework so you won't need to!

That's it for this week! And don't forget to check the box ✔️ on the 5 Minute Midterms site to unlock your social graphics. Your friends need a nudge to research their ballots too, so go ahead and brag! And as always, Extra Credit actions are on the site if you’re feeling fancy.

Talk soon,
The 5 Calls Team