NCFPC 2006 Primary Voter Guide

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Voter Guide Available for May 2 Primary

Family Policy Facts - April 13, 2006
Have you ever entered a voting booth wondering, “Who in the world are these candidates and what do they stand for?” Have you ever just avoided voting in an election altogether because you felt ill equipped to make an informed decision? As part of its ongoing effort to educate the citizenry of North Carolina and to equip them to impact North Carolina’s public policy arena, the North Carolina Family Policy Council is producing a web-based 2006 Voter Guide for the upcoming, May 2 Primary Election. The Voter Guide (which will not be made available in a print edition for the primary election) will be unveiled on the Council’s website at www.ncfamily.org/voterguide2006 on April 18.

In this year’s May 2 Primary Election, Tar Heel voters will decide which candidates move on to the November 7 General Election and which are eliminated from the race. In nearly 20 primary races, the candidate who wins the primary faces no opposition in the General Election and will be elected into office. John Rustin, NCFPC director of government relations, stated, “Typically, voter turnout in the Primary Election—especially in years where there is not a presidential or gubernatorial election, is relatively low—so this year every vote counts! We hope the 2006 Primary Election Voter Guide will help to educate citizens across the state, so they can make well informed decisions about who will represent them in Raleigh and in our nation’s capitol.”

In producing the 2006 Primary Election Voter Guide, the Council sent questionnaires to more than 180 candidates in districts with primary opposition to determine where those candidates stand on a broad range of family-related issues, including abortion, campaign finance reform, education, gambling, religious freedom, same-sex marriage, and stem cell research. Candidates for five of North Carolina’s U.S. Congressional seats, one seat on the N.C. Supreme Court, two seats on the N.C. Court of Appeals, two N.C. Superior Court districts, 14 seats in the N.C. Senate, and 32 seats in the N.C. House face primary opposition and were surveyed for the 2006 Primary Election Voter Guide.

The Voter Guide website will clearly identify which races have primary opposition, and citizens will be able to see side-by-side comparisons of candidate responses to the Voter Guide questionnaire. The candidate questionnaires, which often include supplemental comments and clarifying explanations by the candidates, will also be available in downloadable format. Make sure to visit the North Carolina Family Policy Council website at www.ncfamily.org/voterguide2006 on April 18, and educate yourself for the upcoming May 2 Primary Election.