Presidential Election 2008

Resources for Voters

Whether you're a first-time voter or an old hand, these sites can help you with the practical side of voting.

National Student/Parent Mock Election

Kids and families can encourage political participation too! Find out how to participate in a mock election in your community, get curriculum resources about voting and the political process, and see results of previous mock elections.

New Voters Project

This project is dedicated to encouraging newly eligible voters to get involved in the election process and to vote. Locate research on how many young people have turned out for the caucuses and primaries, register to vote, find your polling place, and learn how to become involved.

Project Vote Smart

Find voting records, biographical information on the candidates arranged by state, interest group ratings, campaign finances, positions on issues, public statements and more.

Rock the Vote | blog | rss/xml feed

If you're a young person interested in voting and the political process, Rock the Vote is a great place to start. Find information on how to vote, get information about the 2008 primary in your state, view a map showing how many young voters have turned out to primaries so far, and keep up with election news on the Rock the Vote blog.

Vote411

If you are looking for basic information about how voting works, who is eligible to vote, what kind of identification is required to vote or to register to vote, and what kind of voting machines the different states use, this nonpartisan site from the League of Women Voters can help.

The Electoral Process

Are you curious about the history of presidential elections in the United States? Do you need to know how the electoral college works, what qualifications a person needs to be eligible to run for president, or how the candidates are paying for their campaigns? Turn to these sites for answers!

Campaign Finance Institute

This think tank website offers nonpartisan discussion of many issues related to campaign finance in congressional and presidential election campaigns. You'll find reports on developments in federal campaign finance law, political parties and interest groups and how they affect the funding of political campaigns, and information about current issues in the news.

Election Law Blog | rss/xml feed

The law of politics and the politics of law is the focus of Loyola Law Professor, Rick Hasen's blog. Topics include campaign finance, legislation, voting rights, initiatives, redistricting and the Supreme Court nomination process. This informal-looking blog is actually brimming with valuable links and references to resources related to election law.

electiononline.org

This nonpartisan website from the Pew Center on the States provides news, information and analysis about election reform and election administration.

Fairvote.org | blog | rss/xml feed | podcast

Find the latest news about election reform and the move to increase voter participation, and read reports on a wide array of election issues, from the Center for Voting and Democracy. The Innovative Analysis series discusses a new election-related issue every few weeks.

Federal Election Commission

Political campaigns need money to function, and the Federal Election Commission is responsible for administering and enforcing federal laws about campaign financing. Their website has maps, general information, and detailed data about donations to presidential and congressional candidates' campaigns, and where that money came from.

Race for the White House: Banking on Becoming President

This site shows data on campaign contributions and spending for the 2008 presidential election, with information for each major Republican and Democratic candidate. Do you want to know if men are donating to the same or different candidates than women? Are you wondering how much money is raised by the political parties? Do you need to know how much money has been donated from each state? This website can help!

U.S. Electoral College

The official site of the Electoral College has historical election results, answers to frequently asked questions, and a section devoted to the Electoral College and the 2008 presidential election.

U.S. Presidential Election 2008

An encyclopedia article from Congresspedia, with a broad overview of the 2008 presidential election, including information about political parties, debates, primaries, political advertising, and more.

WatchBlog: Political News, Opinions & Commentary | rss/xml feeds: Democrats, Independents, Republicans

A multiple-editor weblog divided into three major political affiliations, each with its own blog: the Democrats & Liberals, Third Party & Independents , and Republicans & Conservatives. The purpose of this blog is to help you decide among a variety of opinions. Posting by editors representing each major party is done on a regular basis.

Caucuses and Primaries

Political parties cooperate with the states and territories to hold primary elections or caucuses to help them select their party nominees for the presidential race. These sites can help you understand how primaries and caucuses work, find out which states have which, and keep tabs on their progress. See the News section for current information about primary and caucus results!

CQ Politics: 2008 Primary Guide | Polltracker blog

Use the state map to locate primaries and caucuses, check the current status of state delegate numbers, find information about historical primaries back to 1912, and read how the local papers are covering their primaries. The Polltracker blog tracks key national and state polls, key Senate, House and Governor races, and public opinion polls you should know about to stay informed.

How do Caucuses Work?

A brief essay explaining how caucuses work, and outlining the differences between caucuses and presidential primary elections. The Iowa caucus (the first race of the presidential election year) is used as an example.

Primary Election

This encyclopedia article from Wikipedia explains the history of primary elections, and how they work in various races, including the U.S. presidential election. Includes links to many other encyclopedia articles about the U.S. primary election system.

Party Nominating Conventions

After the caucuses and primaries are over, each party gathers to finalize their selection of a presidential candidate. This gathering is known as a nominating convention. These websites can help you learn about how the conventions work, what's happening at them this election cycle, and even a little bit about the history of past nominating conventions!

How Political Conventions Work

Do you need some basic information on how political conventions function? This brief encyclopedia article discusses the nuts and bolts of conventions, and even highlights a few famous conventions of the past.

Democratic National Convention | blog | rss/xml feed

The official site of the Democratic National Convention features information for delegates and the press, as well as a list of answers to frequently asked questions.

Presidential Nominating Conventions and Television

This brief article from the Museum of Broadcast Communications's Encyclopedia of Television discusses the history of televised political conventions starting in 1948, the first year a convention was partially televised.

Republican National Convention

The official site of the Republican National Convention is full of information about the convention. The history and frequently asked questions are very helpful if you want to learn about past conventions, or about the practicalities of the Republican National Convention.

Superdelegate

Have you been stumped by all the talk about superdelegates in the press? This brief article from the encyclopedia Wikipedia gives a basic introduction to who and what superdelegates are. The focus is on superdelegates in the Democratic Party, but the article provides some information about the Republican equivalent to superdelegates as well.

Candidates & Issues

Do you want to know more about a specific candidate? Even though political candidates have many opportunities to share their views, it can be challenging to discover their positions on a particular issue that is important to you. These websites can help you learn more about the different people running for president in 2008, and the issues they are talking about.

Candidates in the 2008 Presidential Campaign

The encyclopedia Wikipedia lists articles about candidates in the 2008 presidential election. Each article contains general information about the campaign, and at the bottom you should find a link to the campaign's official website.

FactCheck.org | rss/xml feed

Sometimes when campaign ads make a claim, or when a politician says something important in a speech, it is difficult to find out the background on the issue. This site brings together information that can help you check the factual claims that candidates, political campaigns, and elected officials make.

Politifact.com | rss/xml feed

PolitiFact vets statements made by the campaigns in ads, speeches and debates, and provides articles and facts supporting or refuting the statements. Use the truth-o-meter to view the latest statements reviewed, or read recent news articles on the 2008 presidential election by staff of Congressional Quarterly and the St. Petersburg Times. An attack file examines the facts behind statements made by candidates about each other.