Vote Smart

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Vote Smart, Nonprofit Organization, 1153 24th Street, Des Moines, IA.

04/26/2026

The receipts are public record. 🧾

Voting records don't have a PR team. Look up your candidate's actual record at VoteSmart.org — nonpartisan, and fully verified. 🔎

04/25/2026

Bill Cassidy has represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate since 2015. He is seeking a third term.
In 2021, Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial.

This May, he faces a Republican primary field that includes Rep. Julia Letlow, who has represented Louisiana's 5th Congressional District since 2021. Letlow entered the race in January after receiving an endorsement from President Trump.

Other Republicans in the primary include state Treasurer John Fleming, state Sen. Blake Miguez, and several others.

Cassidy has raised $11 million for his reelection campaign. Letlow had $2.3 million banked when she entered the race.

Louisiana Republicans vote May 16. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two finishers advance to a runoff on June 27.

Want to see how Cassidy and Letlow have voted on the issues? Explore the facts at VoteSmart.org.

AI was utilized by a team of creatives to create this image.

04/24/2026

A single judge can hit pause on a policy for the entire country. Yes, really.👩‍⚖️

A nationwide injunction can pause a federal policy across the entire country, not just for the people who filed the case. It’s meant to create consistency while courts decide what’s legal… but it’s also one of the most debated tools in the system.

Both Republican and Democratic administrations have been on the receiving end of them. And the Supreme Court of the United States still hasn’t drawn a clear line on when and how they should be used.

So when you see “policy blocked nationwide,” that’s not always the final word. It’s often the beginning of a much bigger legal fight.

04/21/2026

Lindsey Graham has held South Carolina's U.S. Senate seat since 2003. He is seeking a fifth term.

This June, South Carolina Republicans will decide whether he serves another term.

Mark Lynch, a Greenville business owner, filed to challenge Graham in the June 9 Republican primary. Lynch has served as a deacon at Burnsview Baptist Church in Greer and previously ran for South Carolina State Senate in 2020.

Lindsey Graham's voting record and Mark Lynch's candidate profile are both on file at VoteSmart.org.
South Carolina Republicans vote June 9.

Track Mark Lynch, Lindsey Graham, and tens of thousands of other candidates — updated daily at www.votesmart.org

*AI was utilized by a team of creatives to create this image.

04/19/2026

We're not saying it'll be surprising. We're just saying the facts are there if you want them. Visit VoteSmart.org — 30 years of verified political data 🗳️

04/17/2026

WTF FRIDAY

Not every budget decision is about adding more.
Sometimes it’s about undoing what was already approved.
That’s what a rescission does, Congress pulling back funding that was already set aside.
It’s rare, but it’s one of the ways the system can revisit past decisions and change course.
Same idea as sculpture: shaping the final outcome by removing what doesn’t fit.
Have you heard the term rescission in the news before?
Drop your thoughts or questions below ⬇️ and save this for the next time budget season headlines start flying.

04/13/2026

Between algorithm-driven newsfeeds, AI-generated content, partisan fact-checkers, and campaign ads designed to tell you exactly what you want to hear — finding accurate, unbiased information about your candidates has never been more overwhelming.

Everyone has an angle. Everyone has an agenda.

And somewhere in the middle of all that noise, you're supposed to make an informed decision about who represents you in government.

Here's the thing nobody talks about: your candidate's voting record is public information. Every bill they voted on. Every position they've taken.

Every special interest group that has rated or endorsed them. It's all part of the official record — and it doesn't have a PR team.

Vote Smart has been collecting, verifying, and organizing that information for over 30 years — completely free, completely nonpartisan, and built for exactly this moment.

You don't have to trust us. You don't have to trust anyone.

Just look up the record. 🔎
Visit VoteSmart.org.

04/12/2026

Campaign websites are written by their own team. Voting records are written by their votes. There's a difference — and it's all at VoteSmart.org. Verified. No spin. 🗳️

04/10/2026

Every spring, cherry blossoms bloom — and the President submits a proposed federal budget to Congress. 🌸 It's one of the most important documents in government, and one of the least understood. Here's what most people don't know: the President's budget is just a starting point. Congress writes the actual spending laws. The budget isn't one document — it's multiple appropriations bills that can take months to pass. And about two-thirds of federal spending is already set before the debate begins — mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare run automatically. This week's WTF: Word This Friday explains how it all works.

Explore the facts at VoteSmart.org.

04/05/2026

We love our friends. We just don't always trust them with our ballot.

Before you vote based on what someone told you at brunch, take 5 minutes to look up your candidate's actual voting record — every bill, every position, every rating from hundreds of special interest groups.

It's free. It's nonpartisan. And it's been there the whole time.

VoteSmart.org — Facts for all.

No opinions. No spin. Just the record.

04/04/2026

Most of the votes your elected official has ever cast are part of the public record.

The positions they've taken on issues. The ratings they've received from hundreds of special interest groups. All of it — verified, nonpartisan, and easy to use.

Vote Smart has been building this database for over 30 years so that every voter — regardless of party, background, or zip code — has access to the same facts.

No spin. No agenda. Just the record.

🔎 Look up your candidate right now at VoteSmart.org

04/03/2026

Birthright citizenship is at the center of a major Supreme Court case this week. 🏛️

The 14th Amendment states that anyone born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction is a citizen — but how that's defined has been contested throughout American history.

The Court's decision is expected by June.

This week's WTF: Word This Friday explains what birthright citizenship means and why it matters right now.

Explore the facts at VoteSmart.org.

Address

1153 24th Street
Des Moines, IA
50311

Telephone

+18888683762

Website

http://www.votesmart.org/

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