List of the Month

List of the Month

Each month we highlight one Internet, USENET Special Interest Group (SIG), or similar mailing list or Website.

Online Political Information Resources

In 1996 I wrote an article called "Electronic Democracy." While clearly much of the information in the article is out of date, it is interesting to see the amount that isn't. Since what is purported to be "the closest presidential election since Kennedy/Nixon in 1960" is coming up this November 7, we thought we would provide you with some online help in case you are still unsure of who you will vote for or even if you will vote. With that noble thought in mind, please consider the following information. -- Claudia Lynch, Benchmarks Online Editor

If you are a Texas resident and haven't registered to vote yet, it is too late. If you are the resident of another state check the Online Democracy site (it was our "List of the Month" in August) for state registration deadlines (http://Onlinedemocracy.com/vote/index.cfm) and find out when the deadline is for your state. It is sure to be soon, so don't delay!

If you still don't know what party/candidate(s) to vote for, you can go to SelectSmart.com (it was our "List of the Month" in January -- are you starting to see a pattern here? :) and get some help with "Unbiased Decision-Making, " such as helping you decide what political party is best for you, what candidate for president best fits your views and more.

Voters Guides/Information

If you're looking for specific, non-partisan, information to better inform yourself about candidates in the upcoming election, the sites listed below should be of help to you.

Civic Practices Network (http://www.cpn.org/) - "A learning collaborative for civic renewal."

Federal Election Commission Home Page (http://www.fec.gov/) - Information about election regulations and more.

League of Women Voters (http://www.lwv.org/voter/) - "The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy."

Policy.com (http://www.policy.com/) - An aggregation of think tanks and advocacy groups. Lots of good information and lots of links.

Project Vote Smart (http://www.vote-smart.org/) - a non-partisan clearing house for political information. It was selected by the American Political Science Association as the "Best Political Web Site," according to the Vote Smart Web page.

Rock the Vote (http://www.rockthevote.org/) - MTV's voting guide site, and more.

Web, White & Blue (http://www.webwhiteblue.org/) - According to their "About WWB" page:

Web White & Blue is a non-partisan consortium of 17 of the largest Internet sites and news organizations who have come together to highlight the potential of the Internet to expand citizen participation in our democracy.

The 17 sites on the Web White & Blue Network are some of the most important on the Internet. They include major portals and news organizations which together reach more than 85% of the total US Internet audience. That's nearly 70 million Americans every month.

The centerpiece of Web White & Blue is an historic event: the first online presidential debate. This "Rolling Cyber Debate" is being carried in its entirety by each of the 17 sites on the Web White & Blue network, and is one click away from thousands more. The Rolling Cyber Debate features daily exchanges among the presidential campaigns and responses to questions submitted by Internet users.

Presidential Campaign Pages

Quite a few people want to be president this year. Below are the Web pages of most of the candidates.

George W. Bush (http://www.georgewbush.com/) - Bush-Chaney 2000 site.

Al Gore (http://www.algore.com/) - The official Gore-Liberman campaign Website.

Ralph Nader (http://www.votenader.com/) - Green Party candidate.

Reform Party (http://www.reformparty.org/) - Is Pat Buchanan their candidate or is it John Hagelin? If Hagelin isn't on the ballot as the Reform candidate you might find him listed as the Natural Law candidate and/or the Independent Party Coalation candidate.

Harry Browne (http://www.harrybrowne2000.org/) - The perennial presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party is here again in 2000.

David McRenolds ( http://votesocialist.org/) - Socialist Party USA candidate.

Howard Phillips (http://www.constitutionparty.com/) - Constitution Party (formerly the US Taxpayers Party) candidate.

If you're interested in keeping up with the latest opinion polls on these candidates, you can get your fill at the CNN/AllPolitics - Election 2000 site: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/resources/polls.html