I am a 21-year-old student, and every year when I vote, I become very frustrated because I am asked to vote for men and women I know nothing about. In addition to that, I have no means of getting the information.
So, like many people, I limit my vote to candidates who have actively campaigned or to those whom the media have seen fit to cover or, like many people, I randomly vote because I like the person`s last name. Obviously, this is defeating the purpose of an election.
So, you are asking, what does the frustration of a voter have to do with The Chicago Tribune? I would like to share with you an idea I have had for some time. A week or so prior to the election, run a chart listing the names of the candidates on the horizontal axis. On the vertical axis print categories such as experience and various issues in that race. Then all you would have to do is put in a short word about the candidate`s feelings on the topic. At the end of the line allow the candidate to have a single paragraph to say something about himself or herself. This information would be easily accessible and would benefit the many thousands of voters who read your paper.
