Start with who is actually on your ballot, choose the few issues that matter most to you, then compare each candidate's own stated positions and, for incumbents, their voting record. Nonpartisan tools that publish candidates' answers unedited make this much faster, and they work just as well for independent candidates as for major-party ones.
Look up your ballot by address: your state or county election office publishes sample ballots before each election. VOTE411, the League of Women Voters' free nonpartisan guide, also shows the races on your ballot when you enter your address, covering federal, state and county races and ballot measures.
Find races with independent candidates: the Independent Center's 2026 Election Guide for Independents lists key races this year with independent candidates, with a page for each race.
Source: League of Women Voters, VOTE411 (2026 guide activated July 2026).
Choose three to five issues: decide what matters most to you before campaign ads decide for you. Writing them down makes it easier to compare candidates on the same questions rather than on whatever each campaign wants to talk about.
Not sure where to start? See what issues independent voters care about most.
VOTE411: publishes candidates' answers to the League's questions as submitted, without editing or endorsement, so you can read each candidate's response to the same question.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey: asks candidates across the country to describe their priorities and positions, and publishes the responses on each candidate's Ballotpedia page.
Vote Smart's Political Courage Test: asks candidates where they stand on a set of issues. Many candidates decline to fill it out, so check whether yours did.
A non-answer is information too: if a candidate skipped every questionnaire, that tells you something about how they engage with voters.
Sources: League of Women Voters (VOTE411); Ballotpedia, "Elections with full Candidate Connection survey completion, 2026"; Vote Smart.
For incumbents, look at votes: recorded floor votes are posted on Senate.gov and the House Clerk's site (clerk.house.gov), usually within an hour of the vote, and Congress.gov links to them from each bill's Actions tab. Compare what an incumbent says on the campaign trail with how they actually voted.
Interest group ratings: Vote Smart and others collect ratings from advocacy groups. They can be a useful shortcut, but each group rates members against its own priorities, so look at ratings from groups on more than one side of an issue.
Follow the money: the Federal Election Commission publishes who funds each federal campaign at FEC.gov. Large donors and outside groups don't tell you how a candidate will vote, but they show who is invested in the race.
Source: U.S. Senate, "How to Find Votes" (roll call votes on Senate.gov, clerk.house.gov and Congress.gov).
Candidates without a record: many challengers and independent candidates have never held the office they're running for. For them, look at past public roles, local service, public statements and detailed policy pages.
Debates and forums: candidate debates, town halls and local news interviews show how candidates handle questions they didn't write. Many are posted online after they air.
Candidate websites: useful for stated priorities, but remember the campaign wrote them. Treat them as the candidate's best case, not the full picture.
Make a simple table: list your issues down the side and the candidates across the top, and fill in what you found. Gaps and contradictions show up quickly.
Expect imperfect matches: you may agree with different candidates on different issues. That's common for independent voters, and it's one reason some choose to split their ticket.
What if a candidate didn't answer any questionnaires?
Use their public record, debate appearances, interviews and campaign website instead, and weigh the fact that they didn't respond. Not answering is a choice voters can take into account.
Are interest group ratings neutral?
No. Each rating reflects the priorities of the group that issued it. They're most useful when you compare ratings from groups with different viewpoints on the same issue.
How do I compare an independent candidate with major-party candidates?
The same way. Without a party label to rely on, focus on each candidate's stated positions, record and public statements. Nonpartisan guides like VOTE411 and Ballotpedia include independent candidates alongside major-party ones.
Does the Independent Center endorse candidates?
No. The Independent Center is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization and does not endorse or oppose candidates. Its election guide provides information so voters can make their own choices.
.svg)