Living Voters Guide – Just the facts

With ballots and voters’ guides in-hand, it’s time to narrow in on the issues. For those who prefer an interactive way to exchange opinions on the ballot measures, there’s the Living Voters Guide, sponsored by Seattle CityClub and the University of Washington.

The site has been up for three years, but there’s something new this season – a fact-checking service in partnership with the Seattle Public Library. Chance Hunt, with the Seattle Public Library, says one of the questions librarians were recently asked to fact-check had to do with Referendum 74, specifically about children raised in same-sex families.

The librarians were able to do a very thorough job and provide people with different research. As the conversation continues, you see people contributing other pieces of research and becoming part of an ongoing conversation.

Based on a librarian’s research, some statements are verified, others are not verified, and some are determined to be factually incorrect. When users question a claim, librarians post results, with citations, within 48 hours.