The second of my good government principles is Accurate and Unbiased Voter Info.
Free and fair elections, which I highlighted in last month's newsletter, are the foundation of our democracy. Ensuring all voters have access to the information they need on issues and candidates builds upon that foundation.
Much of the information we are inundated with is misleading and/or requires context and a critical eye. For that reason, a critical aspect of my accurate and unbiased information principle is ensuring every voter has the resources necessary to spot misinformation and disinformation.
With a bit of effort, we can find the information on candidates and issues we need to guide our voting decisions. However, most people don't have the time or the desire to expend the effort required to get that information.
The challenge of wading through the information we are bombarded with and the challenge of finding the data we need can be frustrating and causes many people to tune out and/or too readily accept and amplify information that sounds good or confirms personal biases.
Fortunately, some states and counties provide voter guides that provide balanced information on candidates and issues on the ballot. Here's an outstanding voter guide that was produced for the 2020 election by the League of Women Voters of Central New Mexico.
Voter guides should be standard practice in all states and counties, and should be an expectation of all voters.
The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides both risks and benefits. We've all heard about the increasing risks of AI generated deep fakes, etc. But AI also provides the prospect of easier access to critical information on candidates and issues through improved search engines and/or AI guided searches. I will be paying close attention to this issue, and share, as applicable in the coming months.
This month's posts:
A side-by-side comparison of left, center, and right coverage of the State of the Union speech
Information about Civic Learning Week
Find Facts Fast - a free text message course designed to help Americans of all ages and backgrounds separate online fact from online fiction
Have a great month!
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