NEWSLETTERWhatDoes It Mean

to Be a Rational

THIS
ISSUE
INSIDE
Voter?
 WHAT IS A
RATIONAL VOTER?
“WAIT, WHO AM I VOTNG FOR?”

So, what is a rational voter anyway? It is when a voter can

think logically and use credible information to vote for a
candidate that fits their ideals and values for the country.
They are more aware of the person they’re voting for instead
of voting blindly. Rational voters also don’t listen to rumors.

When voting, it’s best if you know who you’re actually voting
for. We hear lots of this and that, back and forth from news
and the candidates themselves. We must use credible
sources to make a logical and rational vote.

Voting is a right that was given to the

American people to choose who leads and
runs the country. We usually get our
information through the radio, TV, and now
the internet. But what kind of information
can we trust? We’ve all heard someone say,
“Don’t believe everything you read on the
internet!” So how can we make sure we’re
looking at a trusted source? In the next
section, that’s what we’ll be discussing.
HOW TO
BE A
RATIONAL
VOTER
GOOD VS BAD SOURCES

To become a rational voter, you

must find good forms of
information. In the photo below
from Market Watch, it shows which
news sources are the best and if
they are biased or not. The ones in
the green box are the most
creditable, true, and unbiased.
These are sources like BBC, CBS
News, NPR, and The New York
Times. The worst sources are at the
bottom in the red box. Some
examples of these are Palmer
report, Patribotics, Fox News, and
the infamous Infowars.

Many people now use the internet

to find their information. But the
use social media as a way to get
information. Many of the
information on applications like
Facebook and Twitter may be false.
Most of the posts contain only a
little part or side of the story.

Remember to do your own research

on every candidate to choose the
CANDIDATE
’S
INFLUENCE
ON VOTERS
HOW MUCH POWER DO THEY HAVE?

When running for president, you

want to start a following. In order to
do this, you must let them know
about you and what you want to do
with this country. That following will
be influenced by the candidate.
There are around five major factors
that influence the voter’s decisions.
1. Personal background: race,
education, religion, family,
age, occupation, and even
income level.
2. Loyalty to a political party:
The more they show loyalty
to a political party, the more
voters they get.
3. Campaign issues: What does
the candidate want to fix?
Healthcare, Social Security,
taxes, education, gun rights,
abortion, and climate issues.
4. The voter’s image of the
candidate: Most voters want
a president who’s trustworthy
and strong. The image of the
candidates in the voters’
minds is closely related to
public perception of issues.
5. Propaganda: Information that
is used to influence opinion.
 Labeling: name-
calling, identifying a
candidate with a term
 Spin: interpreting
from a particular point
of view
 Card Stacking: only
one side of facts are
presented
 Transfer:
patriotic/positive
symbols associated
with
 Plain Folks: ID with
common people
 Testimonial: celebrity
 endorsements
 Bandwagon: do it
because everyone else
is
IMPORTANCE OF VOTING
KEEPING DEMOCRACY ALIVE

So why should we vote? America is a democracy, and in a democracy, the government is chosen by the people,
for the people. Voting is a formal expression of that person’s views, ideals, and values. It’s the individual’s choice
for or against something or someone, such as a bill or candidate. Voting is one of the most important rights and
responsibilities that an American citizen has. This is an opportunity to tell the government what the citizens
want. If the citizens think they’re paying too many taxes, they’ll vote for the person or bill that lowers taxes. Or
they want more environmental change, they’ll vote on someone who will deal with climate change.

Every vote counts when it come to an election. You could change the course of American history by just voting! A
whole election could change just by one vote. So, if you’re registered to vote, please vote. Remind others to vote
as well. The future of America depends on it.