Subject Librarian: Janet Crane, jmurphy@uno.edu, 504.280.6548

Introduction and Scope
This guide is designed for researchers who are interested in learning how the electoral system works, understanding the platforms of the major candidates, and keeping up on the issues surrounding the election. This guide is focused on the 2004 Presidential Election; however, this resource also contains historical information about previous elections. Additional sources of information are provided, such as media criticism, election regulations, election assistance, and election statistics.

General Advice for Researchers
Researchers who are interested in understanding how the electoral college system works in the United States may choose from a variety of sources. The U.S. Government has produced online sites that explain how the president is elected in very simple language, such as How the Electoral College Works and Frequently asked Questions about the Electoral College. Students should also look at sources that discuss how the electoral college has functioned through history, such as the History of the Electoral College, to reinforce the concept of the electoral college. For example, after learning how the electoral college has functioned through controversial elections, a student will better understand how a candidate can win the popular vote and yet lose the election because of insufficient electoral votes.

Due to little media coverage, many Americans are unaware of their choice of third party candidates. A list of third party candidates can be found by visiting the 2008 List of Candidates web site.

Although election information, such as election campaign finance reports, regulations, and statistics are covered in the news, the author of the statistical sources is not always identified. This guide points the researcher to a number of specific resources for this information. For example, financial reports from candidates and election rules regulations can be found on the Federal Election Commission Web Site; statistical information is available from the U.S. Census Bureau Voting and Registration Data Surveys Web Site; and the America Votes Handbook.

It is important to critically evaluate the information that we receive from the media. The following groups provide discussion of how the media is covering the 2008 Election: FAIR, Election Focus, and Mediachannel.com.

Nonprofit groups provide support to the democratic election process. These groups include: The Freedom House, The International Foundation for Election Systems, and The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. All three of these groups have web sites that explain their mission and history.

Lexis Nexis Campaign 2008 News

Electoral College

• Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections
  Choosing electors and counting electoral votes.
  Location: Reference Shelves REF JK 1967.C662
• Frequently Asked Questions about the Electoral College
  Topics such as electoral vs popular vote, qualifications for electors, and why we still have the electoral college
  Produced by the Federal Register
• How The Electoral College Works
  This site explains how the electoral college operates.
  Produced by the Federal Register
• History of the Electoral College
  The origins of the electoral college are discussed in this document. Also discussed are controversial electoral outcomes, such as electoral college majorities which did not match the popular vote and election ties that needed to be settled in congress.
• Past Electoral Box Scores 1789-present
  This site contains election results including popular and electoral votes with commentary
  Produced by the Federal Register.
  

List of Electors

• Electoral College Watch - A state by state list of electors.

Party Platforms

• The American Presidency Project
  Contains platforms from the parties that received electoral votes from 1840-2000.

Rules and Regulations that Apply to Federal Elections

• Federal Elections Commission
  The site contains rules and regulations for the election process, such as deadlines, contributions, and requirements. This site also explains how the election process works.

Candidates in the 2008 Election

• Announced and Potential candidates 2008
  Wikipedia listing of the 2008 presidential candidates.

National convention web sites

• Republican National Committee
  The latest news and events of the Republican party.
• 2008 Democratic Convention
  Current news on candidates.
• 2008 Libertarian Convention
  News leading up to the Libertarian National Convention in Denver, CO
• Green Party National Convention
  Green Party Convention news page.

Encyclopedias of third parties

• The Encyclopedia of Third Parties in America
  Coverage: This three volume set covers third parties in the U.S. from 1788-2000. Political maps are included in this encyclopedia.
  Location: REF JK 2261.E474 2000
• The Encyclopedia of Third Parties in the United States
  Coverage: This one volume encyclopedia discusses the history and importance of third parties in the U.S. Includes the years 1823-1991.
  Location: REF JK 2261.K781991

Election Data and Statistics

• America Votes
  A handbook of election statistics that includes census populations and total votes.
  Location: Reference shelves REF JK 1967.A8
• U.S. Census Bureau Voting and Registration Data Surveys
  Voting and registration surveys according to gender, race, and economic background from 1993 to today.

Polling data

• PollingReport.com - Find recent polls from a variety of sources.
• Studies completed by the UNO Survey Research Center http://www.uno.edu/~poli/unopoll/previous.htm

Nonprofit organizations that provide support to the election process

• International Foundation for Election Systems
  Provides technical assistance in all areas of election administration and election management. IFES is a nonprofit non-governmental organization which has also been a part of the electoral process in over 100 countries over the past fifteen years.
• Freedom House
  Freedom House was founded sixty years ago by Wendell Willkie, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Americans concerned threats to democracy and peace. Freedom House is a Nonpartisan and broad-based organization.
• International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
  IDEA is an intergovernmental organization with member countries all over the world. IDEA is an organization dedicated to supporting sustainable democracy.
  

Analysis of Election Coverage

• FAIR
  This organization is dedicated to pointing out bias reporting in the media, including election coverage.
• Elections
  US Department of State information updates on elections.
• MediaChannel.org
  Offers criticism and analysis of election and other media coverage.
  

Campaign Finance Reports from the FEC

• View Financial Reports from 1993-present
  Includes financial reports from house, senate, and presidential campaigns.

Controversial Elections

• Center for Voting and Democracy
  Discusses the most controversial outcomes in American Elections from 1800-2000.

Presidential Libraries

• NARA's Link to the Presidential Libraries
  Presidential Libraries contain historical election archives including acceptance speeches, inaugural addresses, and campaign speeches.

• Text of the U.S. Constitution
  Read how the election process works as written by the nation's founding fathers.