The "smart voter" - by definition - is one who knows the candidates' stands on the important issues of the day. And how does Mr./Ms. Smart Voter find out where the candidates stand? Project Vote Smart, a national, non-partisan voter education organization operating out of Montana, thinks it has a quick and simple answer. Before every election, Project Vote Smart sends a candidate questionnaire to all the aspirants and publishes the results on its website.

But the questionnaire sent this summer to Virginia's General Assembly contestants has met with little response. According to Rachel Weiss, the Vote Smart staffer responsible for the Virginia survey, only 9 percent of Virginia General Assembly candidates (19 out of 208) answered the "2003 Virginia State Legislative National Political Awareness Test." Our own survey of the seven General Assembly candidates running in various parts of Charlottesville and Albemarle found that only one, Del. Steven Landes (R - Rockingham) completed and returned the survey. (Landes is running unopposed in the Crozet and Brownsville precincts of Albemarle County.)

Why the reluctance and/or lack of interest in telling the voters where you stand? According to those who didn't respond, it's not a matter of hiding their positions. Rather, it's the time involved, the types of questions, and the nefarious uses their opponents may find for the responses.

Del. Mitch Van Yahres (D - Charlottesville) has a firm policy not to respond to any candidate questionnaires. In fact, he sends a form letter back to those organizations which submit questionnaires, stating in part, "Because some candidate questionnaires make it difficult to fully explain my position, I have made it a policy to respond to these questionnaires in person. If [you]….make an appointment with me, I will be more than happy to discuss your survey…".

Van Yahres' legislative assistant Connie Jorgenson offered a further explanation of Van Yahres' non-response policy - "Most candidate questionnaires are multiple choice, worse yet many only allow yes and no answers. Further, during the legislative process many factors have to be taken into consideration that may not have been present when the survey was taken."

For fellow non-respondent Del. Rob Bell (R - Albemarle), it's mostly a matter of time. "We get dozens if not hundreds of these requests and surveys. I could spend all of my time reviewing and answering them, and that would not be a productive use of my time," says Bell. "I vote on all of these issues and my votes will give you a better view of my positions."

Bell's response (or non-response) was echoed by Sen. Creigh Deeds (D - Bath), who said, "As a rule I don't fill out questionnaires. I have been in the legislature for 12 years and have thousands of recorded votes. People know where I stand on the issues."

Some, however, cite the Project Vote Smart survey itself as the reason for ignoring it.

Sen. Emmett Hanger (R - Augusta) said, "the Vote Smart questionaire is well done in that it covers a lot of topics relevant to current Virginia policy discussions. I received so many questionnaires this year though, that I didn't get them all returned even to groups that I agree with totally. Generally speaking I think candidates tend to complete questionnaires for groups that agree with them philosophically. Therein is a problem with this particular survey.

It carries no judgement about abortion but requires that you state if you support it or not and the degree to which you feel that way. The same for relative levels of categories of taxes and spending. Since the Vote Smart folks don't send you any money or a letter of endorsement for agreeing with them, but rather just make the information available potentially to a whole lot of people who may disagree with you, then there is a perceived downside with very little upside to your investment in time. But what do I know? I still can't figure out where I put it."

Steve Sisson, the Democratic candidate from Rockingham (running for the State Senate seat that serves northwestern Albemarle), was particularly irked by the questions in the survey. "I thought the Project Vote Smart Survey was slanted and biased. I was warned that the survey could be used against the campaign by several political friends from both parties," he said, adding "I personally did not see any value in the survey."

And who is doing the warning? According to Allen Hale, Democratic candidate from Nelson (running for the Delegate seat serving southern Albemarle), "the state [Democratic] party advised against responding." He added, "many of these surveys reflect a strong bias and I don't take the time to respond."

The warning came in the form of a memo sent in July to Democratic House of Delegates candidates. The memo was abrupt - "Please do not respond to the Project Vote Smart questionnaire. It is used every year by opponents against the person who fills it out," it said - without further explanation.

The folks at Project Vote Smart are somewhat baffled by the less-than-warm welcome their survey received from Virginia candidates. Lindsey Siler, Project Vote Smart's Media Director, likens the questionnaire to a job application: "Voters should expect no less of political candidates than they would of anyone applying for an important job. We pull together candidates' 'resumes' and then we invite them for 'interviews.' If they don't show up for the interviews, they are forcing voters to go to the polls without the crucial information they need."

Noting that the response rate for Virginia candidates has fallen from 25% in 2001 to 9% this year, questionnaire director Rachel Weiss is concerned that candidates are increasingly using a new excuse for not completing the survey-fear of opposition research. "But if candidates are afraid to let their opponents know where they stand on the issues, they can't let the voters know - a development that is not only illogical, but also dangerous to the ideals of democracy and an informed electorate," she said.

Del Watkins Abbitt (I - Appomattox) failed to respond to the survey and could not be reached for comment for this article.

Jim Heilman, September 12, 2003

For related article, see also Valley Lawmakers Snub Voter Survey.