We take a break from our regularly scheduled objectiveness today to celebrate the success, community, and expanding reach of Voter Information Project (VIP), and to invite you to help us improve. I can’t think of a better way to do that than to share my own experience.

 

Before I get into that: What is VIP? If you have never used it—VIP was made to give voters access to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  [from the editor:  If candidates fail to tell the truth, we cannot control that - but we report what the candidate declares to be truth.]

 

 

The whole truth? VIP covers everyone from U.S. House and Senate, to local mayors and commissioners, to MUD, to the school board, down to the dog catcher (or it would, if dog catchers were elected). No race is too small. If it’s on your ballot, it’s on VIP.

 

Nothing but the truth? VIP doesn’t comment or “frame” anyone’s answers. VIP edits only misspellings, and punctuation errors that would affect comprehension.

 

When I was 10, the executive director of VIP was my mom’s friend across the street and around the corner.

Mom sometimes sent me to help put packets together. As a teenager, my younger brother helped create the first VIP website.

 

As time went by, VIP recruited volunteers from more areas of the state, so that candidates could be contacted by their own constituents. The executive director insisted on that. Listening to her, I didn’t really understand. But that relationship is what makes VIP valuable. VIP is real voters creating personal connections with candidates—not just a website and call center.

 

(As an aside—VIP notes every attempt to contact non-responding candidates. I didn’t understand that either, then. Now I do! Why should I care about researching them if they don’t care about taking advantage of a free opportunity to communicate with me?)

 

At any rate, with that growth, the website my brother helped create could no longer handle the demands. Funds were needed to contract with professionals to create a bigger site with more functionality. The community stepped up, and the site was built. Voters Information Packet became Voter Information Project, as the website, bit by bit, replaced the paper packets.

 

With VIP in my mind still a vague project run by my mom’s friend, I grew up, moved to Colorado, and voted for the first time. I valued informed voting, so I learned about presidential candidates, discovered who was running for Congress. I read about Colorado’s governor. I’d even heard about a ballot initiative. I was proud of that.

Then I walked into the ballot box, saw the length of my ballot, and gulped. What were all these races? Commissioners? School board? Judges? And two more ballot initiatives that I hadn’t heard of. I realized, to my shame, that I was not an informed voter. Do I just play “eenie, meenie, miney, mo,” or leave 80% of the thing blank? How can I become an informed voter when I don’t even know what all the races are, much less the candidates?

 

For Colorado, I’m still not sure. Facebook? A hazy website with a list of school board members listed by district (and no explanation of which district was mine)? Maybe I should vote for the person with the largest number of signs in my neighborhood.

 

Eventually, I moved back to Omaha, where VIP had become an online statewide repository of rich information for voters. I didn’t know how good it was until I thought, “OK, it’s almost time to vote. I know this site exists. Might as well take a look.”

I went to the site, entered information about myself, and was shocked. I saw everything that would be on my personal ballot. I didn’t have to wallow the internet wondering what I was even looking for. I didn’t have to rely on shallow commercials, mailings, or campaign websites.

 

Instead, I leisurely read through all the information, and wrote down my decisions. If what I needed wasn’t there (usually because a candidate hadn’t responded), VIP provided links to campaign sites, if available. I ignored them. Why should I care, if the candidate didn’t?

 

So now, while I still keep up on national news, when it comes to Nebraska, VIP is my first stop at election time. And it is downright fun.

 

For candidates for local office: I read the description of the office and then the candidates’ answers. They introduce themselves, their families, their backgrounds, and their expertise (or lack thereof). They describe how they would perform their duties, and share their priorities. The answers show personality, passion, and detail that often can’t be found elsewhere. Sometimes I feel like I’ve had a conversation with them! Opponents’ answers to the same question show up together, for easy comparison.

 

For ballot initiatives: VIP posts the ballot language, then translates it into clear, objective English, and lists basic pro and con possibilities. Then I have a basis to do further research (which may be assisted by VIP’s blog. At least, I hope so!).

 

For judges: VIP gives information from professionals, generally lawyers, who see judges in action. These professionals score the judges on different criteria and also share comments. It’s like getting a small peek into a courtroom drama.

Since using VIP, I have never walked into the ballot box and had a surprise. I understand the positions. I know the candidates. I have already made my decisions on every single race. I don’t just think I’m informed. I actually am.

 

I hope I’ve shown that VIP is about people. It’s about real people working to get objective information to real voters, from real candidates. VIP is one of those rare places online where you get to see what’s real.

 

We need more real people.

 

Could you donate? There is an urgent need for funds for the website, to make it easier for volunteers and candidates to enter information, as the current process is cumbersome. Even without investing in improvements, the website needs continual maintenance. But in order to expand, the process needs to be streamlined.

 

VIP is entirely volunteer-run. 100% of your tax-deductible donation will go to covering maintenance and improvement costs to reach more people and cover more races.

 

Could you volunteer? Do you want to strengthen your county’s coverage? Or maybe, you live in one of Nebraska’s other 86 counties, and you would like your county included? Maybe you could be the volunteer that makes that happen.

 

Give a little time or a lot . . . a little money or a lot . . . whatever you can. You’ll help people you know, and people you’ll never meet.

 

And whether or not you can give, spread the word. You can still help others be informed. The larger our community, the stronger our community.

 

Thanks for being a part of VIP—for helping people like me.