LocalVoter

Find your precinct and your list of candidates.  Some candidates pay a fee to convert their listing on LocalVoter into a hyperlink to their website (click here to find out how). 

LocalVoter also offers links to find your polling place, register to vote, news, weblogs, glossaries, issue summaries, and other resources.

Project Vote Smart

Find out where candidates stand on important issues.  PVS's National Political Awareness Test (NPAT) contains detailed information on candidates' positions, submitted by the campaigns themselves.

PVS's 2004 Voters Self Defense Manual includes results of key Congressional votes, along with ratings from various interest groups.

e.thePeople

Join in or read a conversation about a political topic that matters to you.  Sign a petition, write a letter to your Congressman, or find out more about what's happening.  e-thePeople is an interactive forum - a sort of electronic political community - that can help you get the political information you need.

Spinsanity

What is fact and what is "spin"?  Spinsanity examines candidates' and officials' public statements and outlines the truth, the untruth, the semi-true, the quasi-correct, the technically factual, and of course, the outright lies.

A great service and fun to read.

FactCheck

Untangling the facts from the lies in major political advertising.  Sponsored by the Annenberg School of Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, FactCheck is great source for de-bunking political claims and getting to the facts.

Political parties' websites

Don't look to them for facts, but they are a useful way to find where the parties and candidates stand on specific issues.  LocalVoter carries links to the major national parties on it's homepage.  After you select your location from the menu on the top left, the pages that follow include links to local political parties.

Remember, if you're looking for information from political parties, don't leave out smaller parties like the Greens and the Libertarians.  When you're looking at partisan content, the more angles you take in the more likely you are to get the picture right.

Beliefnet

An online religious forum, it has a great section of articles, forums, and feedback on politics.  Review the topics, see what people are saying about religion and politics (a hot issue in this election cycle), and join a discussion.

The Onion

Scathing political satire, and (believe it or not) a great way to get an angle on key political issues.  Their fake news is usually a lot more insightful than the real news.

The Daily Show

For those of you who are still wondering whether modern civilization is doomed, this sentence should dispel all doubt - The best news show on television is on Comedy Central.

The Daily Show says all the things Dan Rather can't away  with.  If you don't have basic cable (do you REALLY not have basic cable?) you can see recaps of Daily Show segments online.

OpenSecrets

Who's giving what to whom and what are they getting in return?  Watch the money flow in and the track the votes and the laws that come out.  Opensecrets allows you to search through campaign contributions by candidates, Congressional committees, parties, and PAC's.  The site also tracks the progress of key bills, pointing out who's supporting them with campaign cash.

Weblogs

Usually just described as "blogs," weblogs are often a great way to get detailed analysis of political issues, particularly local issues that aren't well covered in the media.

LocalVoter has a selection of political blogs with a Texas emphasis in it's Links section.  You can also search for weblog content that interests you by using Feedster.