Need information about who is on the ballot this election? WUSF's Voter Guide for the 2024 election gives you the information you need to make an informed decision.
It provides comprehensive information on candidates for state and federal offices, including state Senate, House and U.S. Senate races.
“There are 120 races statewide, but we've tailored it down just for our region,” said WUSF news director Mary Shedden.
From statewide races and down to local representatives, voters can navigate through the guide to find relevant candidates by using tabs to access information on local representatives, campaign contributions, and candidate profiles.
“You don't have to scroll through all those races. You can go exactly to the candidates who are going to be representing you,” said Shedden.
A more comprehensive snapshot
“Candidate websites are great. They're probably the best place where you can get their stance on issues that they represent,” said Shedden. “But the fact is, it's what they want you to see. They are not an unbiased or nonpartisan group that is asking the same questions of everybody.”
The guide mitigates this limitation on candidate websites. It offers a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of candidates' stances on various issues.
“You may have one candidate in a state Senate race that talks all about the environment, but their opponent is only talking about immigration,” said Shedden.
How do you know how they compare to the issues that matter to you? This gives you a link to their website, so you can check that out, but we're going to include a lot of other information, so you can do that side-by-side comparison.”
Profiles also include photos, biographical information, campaign involvement and campaign contributions.
Why campaign contributions matter
“There's a lot of money behind politics. What we will see in a campaign contribution is who's giving in those races,” said Shedden.
You're going to see how much that candidate's making, and if they're getting a lot of money from the Democratic Party of Florida or the Republican Party of Florida, or political action committees that are representing specific interests. Those interests may appeal to you, or they may not. That’s more information you can have to make your own decision, right?”
What we asked candidates
“Back in February, we actually started asking people what issues matter to you in the 2024 election,” said Shedden.
From festivals, online surveys to in-person conversations, WUSF journalists have been in the search for information on all sorts of topics.
“We asked them about all the constitutional amendments. We also asked them about things like the environment. What issues would they take to Tallahassee or to Washington?” said Shedden.
"We gave them open ended questions so they could answer in ways you could hear how they felt on issues, and we gave them a chance to expound on it as well. From some we received responses, others not as much.
“There are a lot of candidates whose campaign is really small and they just don't have the bandwidth, or they choose not to put their energies into answering the questions,” said Shedden. "We know people aren't going to respond, so we have assigned reporters to all of those races, and they're going to be going online, doing reporting and filling in the answers of the questions that we asked, and more importantly, to be really transparent.”
Links to sources of information that provide detailed answers from candidates are included in the guide for transparency.
Where there’s a gap
How can voters learn about these local races that may not have been represented in the guide?
“Local media, hyper-local, forums and interviews. Google that name and look at it,” said Shedden. "We chose the statewide races because these are the folks least likely to be knocking on your door or being your true neighbors, and so we wanted to try to give you access to the people you might not meet in the grocery store.
“The more we talk to people, whether we agree or not, the better,” said Shedden.
Find additional voting information like key dates, registration deadlines and polling locations at WUSF’s Voter Guide 2024.
