Table of Contents
What Type of Voter Are You?
The Economic Model of Voting Behavior identifies 4 types of voters:
- those who inquire; more politically educated
- those based on ideological differences
- those who rely on the opinion of the media and opinion leaders
- those based on partisan identification
The majority of family, friends, and neighbors that I talk to about voting fall into category #4. Historically I believe that there has been a strong correlation between voters who vote by political party (type 4) and a vote based on ideologies (type 2), however the Democrat and Republican Parties have undergone significant ideological changes over the past few years as made evident by the unprecedented support for the opposite party in this 2024 presidential election (ex. Tulsi Gabbard supporting Republican, RFK JR. supporting Republican, Dick Cheney supporting Democrat, etc.). Now, more than ever, it’s important for voters to try to be as informed as possible and inch towards voter type 1. Essentially, this process enables the voter to cast an educated vote that leverages the efficiencies of a partisan vote that adheres to your values and ideologies. It allows the process user to analyze political parties and candidates based on what they do rather than what they say.
Educated Partisan Voting Process
There is no substitute for a lot of research on ballot measures and candidates, but this process can help you make the most informed decision in a relatively short amount of time. This process presents a methodical approach to educate yourself quickly to ensure your partisan-based vote aligns with your current ideological priorities.
Disclaimer: For the seasoned, educated voter this process may seem rudimentary, but it may be a good introduction for those family and friends who need to educate themselves more.
- Narrow your scope
- scan the official state-provided voter guide and/or Ballotpedia quickly (state provided ballot guides can be confusing)
- determine which measures are important to you and only focus on those measures
- Vote on the ballot measures
- search and scan all the partisan ballet guides you can find to understand all perspectives
- make note of the political party that syncs best with your ideologies
- scan your state general assembly website for upcoming bills and recently passed laws
- select only 1 or 2 of your priority subject areas (ex. Education and Immigration)
- scan the bills/laws to identify any that fit the following criteria and make note of the
- bills/laws that sync with your ideologies
- bills/laws that do not sync with your ideologies
- the sponsoring political party for each above bills/laws
- finalize your vote for your priority ballot measures based on the partisan info you collected above
- do not vote on ballot measures you do not care about and/or understand
- search and scan all the partisan ballet guides you can find to understand all perspectives
- Vote on the people running for office
- determine which political party syncs best with your ballot measure votes from above
- lean towards voting that partisan line
In an ideal voting process, it would be much easier if the candidates running for office disclosed what their vote would be on the current ballot measures. That doesn’t exist therefore you need to make some logical inferences at the partisan level.
2024 Colorado Ballot Guide – Data Dashboard
I’ve created a ballot guide dashboard for the state of Colorado as an example of how I compile information and hopefully as a reference that my fellow Coloradan voters will use in their decision making process.
- Note: the Libertarian source was the only source that provides supporting comments.