These websites were chosen because they offer a variety of viewpoints, include links to additional news items, and can get you started on your research. Many offer image galleries, audio and video files, and places that you can interact with other concerned young adults. Be sure to check out the blogs listed at the bottom, too!
Overview of "The Vote"
Elections: The American Way This website from the Library of Congress offers a variety of historical information and detailed explanations of subjects like "Voters", the "Party System", the "Election Process" and "Issues".
Frequently Asked Questions The U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division compiled this list of answers to questions like, "Where did the Voting Rights Act come from?" and "What federal laws protect me from discrimination in voting?"
Accurate Democracy Voting Rules This site explains how the democratic voting process works, whether it's a vote between a small group of people, or an entire nation choosing a president!
Facts about U.S. Elections With subjects like "About U.S. Elections", "Current U.S. Political Parties", and "Timelines" of voting rights, this is a great spot to learn more about the election process.
Inauguration Fact File Need help finding an inaugural address? This site has all of them, from George Washington to George Bush! You can also browse through the most famous of them, get a look "behind the scenes" of the inaugural balls, and learn about the Oath of Office.
Presidents of the United States You can click on the president you want to learn more about & find background information, election results, AND audio/visual resources from the Internet Public Library.
African Americans & "The Vote"
Black Voting Rights: History of the 15th Ammendment This is an excellent place to start your research because it includes a timeline, biographies, a glossary, and additional sources to help you learn more about Black Voting rights.
The Fifteenth Ammendment Although this site from the National Archives & Records Administration only has a brief description of the 15th ammendment, it includes a scanned image of the real document! It is as close as you can get to holding it in your hands!
Civil Rights 101 Created by civilrights.org, this site includes an overview of the basic history of voting rights and includes links to the NAACP, the Voting Rights Act, and resources on key figures in the Civil Rights movement.
The African American Odyssey This searchable collection from the African American Odyssey supplies you with a background to the Civil Rights movement and includes images and newspaper clippings to add visual interest to your projects. Be sure to check out the photos of African Americans registering to vote for the first time!
Women & "The Vote"
League of Women Voters This site includes a Multimedia library with streaming video and a presidential debate archive, as well as a great image collection! The site's focus is on issues important to the League, such as Global Warming, Campaign Finance Reform, and Civil Liberties.
The Women's Rights Movement This site explores Women's Rights movements historically through a detailed timeline that will take you into today's issues.
National Women's History Movement Engage in an interactive experience while learning about "The Political Culture and Imagery of American Woman Suffrage"--includes an image gallery, links to additional resources, and the 1848 Report of The Woman's Rights Convention.
The 2008 Presidential Election
Youth Services America This "new" interactive website gives up to date news & information on races, presidential candidates, and defines the issues. You can join forums, upload images and audio files, and find resources to help you take action in the political processs.
Rock the Vote Looking for some inspiration about the power of voting and the value of democracy? Learn more about current issues and follow along the election path via this website!
Project VoteSmart This site is dedicated to objective information about candidates, issues, and elections. You can even narrow your search by your zip code so that you can see how you are affected locally! Provides links to other news items, a campaign blog, and important election dates.
Census Statistics Looking for some interesting census facts? The U.S. Census Bureau compiled this list from the 2004 census in order to provide you with state and national turnout trends that will be relevant for the 2008 election. Includes a link to the full "Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004" report.
USA Today: "The Candidates" Whether you are looking for some cool audio or video clips to include in your project, or just wanting to learn more about the Candidates, this website is a great starting point for finding detailed information, a nomination calendar, and links to the MOST current articles and clippings on the election.
NY Times: Election Guide This site is awesome for searching the issues, the candidates, keeping track of results, knowing about upcoming events, AND you should also check out their link to "Finances". It includes a searchable database of donors!
Politics 1: 2008 Presidential Election End the confusion about who belongs to what party by checking out this website! It breaks down all of the candidates according to party affiliation, which is really helpful for understanding the ones that aren't talked about as much, like the Constitution Party, Green Party, and Libertarian Party.
C-Span "The Road to the White House" This site includes podcasts and programs featuring the candidates, as well as links to polls, finance, and other resources of state and national election coverage.
The Candidates & Their Campaigns Do you wonder what Clinton was doing in the 1970's? Pick a decade on this site's timeline and you can see where the candidates were and what they were doing...it will help put current positions into perspective!
"The Issues"
USA Today: "The Issues" This is another branch of the USA Today's website, but this one focuses on the issues! Find video clips and images here, as well as current news about what the candidates are saying on these "hot topics".
NY Times: Election Guide This is a direct link to the Issues section of the NY Times Election Guide-it is SO simple to use for research because it includes each candidate's stance on major issues like abortion, climate change, immigration, and Iraq.
MTV: The Issues "Think MTV" covers the hottest issues this election year and provides you with a variety of multimedia resources. You can even join a forum to share your insights with other students around the country!
Rock the Vote's Issues Coverage This site gives you the scoop on the issues in a straightforward way that will get you thinking about the way these issues have an impact on your life.
Blogs
Check out any of these blogs for the most current ideas, observations, and personal insights about the election.