How to Evaluate a Candidate Without a Political Science Degree

Campaign ads are designed to tell you how to feel, not to help you decide. Here's a simple, repeatable way to judge a candidate on substance — one that works for the top of the ballot and the races nobody covers.

Step 1: Know what the job actually does

Before you judge the person, understand the office. A school board member doesn't set foreign policy; a sheriff doesn't write tax law. Match your priorities to the powers of the seat — a candidate's loudest promises are sometimes about things the office can't control. (Our glossary and how elections work pages help here.)

Step 2: Record over rhetoric

What someone did predicts more than what they say.

• For incumbents and former officials: look at their actual record. GovTrack and Congress.gov show votes and sponsored bills; Ballotpedia covers state and local officials; Vote Smart compiles positions and ratings.
• For newcomers: look at their career, past statements, and who trusts them enough to endorse them.

Step 3: Follow the money

Who funds a campaign tells you who it answers to. OpenSecrets (federal) and the FEC show donors and totals; most states have a campaign-finance database for state races.

Step 4: Read their own words — then a critic

Spend five minutes on the candidate's own site and note their top three priorities and whether they offer specifics or just slogans. Then read one thoughtful critical source — you're testing whether their claims hold up, not collecting applause.

Step 5: Watch for real red flags

Regardless of party, be wary of a candidate who:

• Won't give specifics or dodges every hard question.
• Refuses to debate or take unscripted questions.
• Rejects legitimate election results or floats political violence.
• Runs entirely on grievance with no plan to govern.

Step 6: Down-ballot shortcuts

For races with little coverage, lean on: your local newspaper's endorsements and candidate Q&As, nonpartisan Vote411 candidate answers, and — for partisan races — the endorsements of groups whose judgment you trust.

Make a scorecard

Give each candidate a quick rating on the things you actually care about, and write it on the cheat sheet you'll bring to vote. A five-minute scorecard beats a booth full of half-remembered ads every time.