Voting in an election should be simple. But as Amber Dickinson, associate professor of political science at Washburn University, says, “It can be really tricky.”
“There's a lot of noise that voters have to cut through, and sometimes you have to be really sophisticated in your ability to understand what is good information,” Dickinson told KCUR’s Up To Date.
As Nov. 3 nears, campaigns and political action committees are spending millions of dollars on television ads and other communications. And voters are tasked with figuring out what’s true, and where they stand on it all.
In Missouri, voters will elect U.S. House representatives, a state auditor and weigh in on several high-profile ballot issues on things like abortion rights and gerrymandering. Kansans will decide who will represent them in the U.S. House and Senate, as well as a new governor and several statewide positions. That’s not to mention races to represent in the state legislatures and judges up for retention in both states.
“We've got people that are working insane hours just to make ends meet, and so to expect people to sit down and then comb through what is often really complicated information, that's a pretty big ask,” Dickinson says.
But casting an informed vote doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
KCUR’s 2026 Voter Guide offers comprehensive and concise information on many races and ballot questions in Kansas and Missouri — free, with no paywall.
But if you want to do your own research — or check ours — Dickinson and Matt Beat, a Lawrence-based former educator who makes YouTube videos about politics and American history for more than 1.4 million subscribers, shared some tips to make the process easier.
Know where your beliefs lie
Auditing your own beliefs is a good place to start, Dickinson says.
The more you know which issues are important to you and what is impacting your life and your community — positively or negatively — the easier it is to know which candidates you align with.
Beat suggests online political alignment quizzes can also help you evaluate where you generally stand on the political spectrum. ISideWith.com is a popular one, and the Pew Research Center also has a political typology quiz.
Then, reading candidates’ campaign websites can be helpful to understanding their priorities and how they relate to yours.
Use your sample ballot
Looking up your sample ballot is key to heading to the polls informed and confident, Beat says. You can review everything you’ll vote on before you go to the polls.
Find what’s on your ballot through your county’s election office:
- Cass County Election Authority
- Jackson County Election Board
- Johnson County Election Office
- Kansas City Election Board
- Platte County Board of Elections
- Wyandotte County Election Office
Don’t blindly trust TV ads
While TV ads often have a kernel of truth, they can be very misleading.
“What I would encourage voters to do if they've heard something in an ad that they are interested in – do the research, look it up,” Dickinson said. “Is it factually correct? Is it corroborated by more than one credible source that is not a blog post or is not coming from some kind of campaign machine? Find out if that information is real and true before you add it to sort of your mental tally of how you are evaluating a candidate.”
Beat’s advice for how to make sense of what’s true and what’s not in ads? “If you can, avoid them at all costs.”
It’s OK to leave a question blank
Don’t feel guilty about leaving something blank on your ballot if you’re not confident about the candidate or the issue, Beat says.
You’re “showing up to vote, which is already more than a lot of people.”
What's the deal, KC? Text KCUR your election questions.
KCUR's new series is answering your most pressing questions about Kansas City's biggest issues. On Nov. 3, Kansas will elect a U.S. Senator, Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and more statewide offices. What questions do you have about the candidates and their policy positions? What topics are most important to you? Text KCUR at 816-601-4777.
- Amber Dickinson, associate professor of political science at Washburn University
- Matt Beat, government and politics content creator as “Mr. Beat”
