A Good Vote is an Informed Vote

Going into the NH primary, I was still unsure of who I was voting for. Several candidates from each party appealed to me on various issues. I consider myself a social liberal, but a fiscal conservative. As you can imagine, this poses quite a problem with regards to elections. To make my final decision, I decided to hunker down and do some serious research. I read transcripts of debates, looking at positions statements, and examined the candidates' voting records. The voting records, in particular, were eye-opening. I was surprised to see exactly what each candidate had voted for or against, as well as which bills they remained simply "present" without taking a stand. Many of the records contradicted statements candidates had made.
I would urge every voter to do his or her homework. You might be surprised to find that the person you thought was the best pick is, in fact, someone who, in reality, is not aligned with your values or opinions. There are many websites that let you actually see how candidates line up with you on important issues, such as abortion, taxes, immigration, guns, education, gay marriage, etc. No matter how the election turns out in the end, you can, at least, feel confident that you made an informed decision based on fact, not fiction.