Endorsments vs. Ratings

This is a blog post I wrote for the League of Womens voters of Coastal Georgia.

https://www.lwvcga.org/endorsementandratings/

Researching candidates for our Voters Guide prompted a question: Why do challengers list their endorsements while incumbents don’t? Third-party websites might list an incumbent’s ratings and old endorsements but are they different? Most importantly, what do they tell us about whom to vote for? Is this valuable information or just more political rhetoric?

First, yes, endorsements and ratings can help voters decide which candidate to vote for. Organizations and labor groups give endorsements directly to candidates, while ratings match voting records with organization and labor group interests. Knowing the difference can help you understand how candidates align with issues you care about.

Endorsements = Statement of Support

Endorsements are, at their core, a statement of support. They can be made by a person or an organization. Individuals need only voice their support of a candidate to be an endorser and, if they are high profile enough, to be mentioned on a candidate’s website. Endorsements provide new candidates with credibility for their platforms and may add to their campaign resources. Money is the easiest contribution, but email lists, volunteers and other in-kind contributions are also acceptable. Organizational endorsements often include publicity for both the candidate and the organization.

Candidates can either seek endorsements or be sought by endorsers. In either case, the candidate must answer questionnaires and sit through interviews directed at determining whether the organization will endorse or not.

If the candidate passes the vetting process and gets an endorsement, the public is assured that the organization and the candidate’s beliefs align. This means that the candidate stands for similar ideals, or that laws the candidate promises to push will benefit the organization in some way. Importantly, accepting an endorsement does not mean the candidate has promised the organization anything. It means that the two are in agreement and the organization will support the campaign.

Endorsements are most prevalent during the election cycle, but some are given in the off- season. Both incumbents and challengers may have endorsements but first-time candidates use them more actively to establish credibility.

Ratings = Voting Records

Ratings are very different from endorsements. They are determined by an incumbent’s voting record. Ratings from a given organization demonstrate how past votes helped that special interest group. Even a rating of 100% does not mean the organization endorses a candidate; it just means the candidate voted in line with the special interest group’s agenda.

Third-party organizations, such as Vote Smart, provide a list of special interest groups and their ratings of a candidate. You can also search by candidate and find their ratings from a list of organizations.

What Does This All Mean?

The difference between endorsements and ratings is obvious. The difficulty is figuring out what they mean in terms of a voting decision.

Some candidates list endorsements on their campaign website. Incumbents, however, tend not to. It’s also important to keep in mind that past endorsements, unless redacted by the special interest group, still hold. Third-party websites may list endorsements from earlier runs . For links to who’s endorsed whom, read our post.

Third party sites tend towards large, national special interest groups. The more local you get, the less information they provide.

Once you understand the difference, endorsements and ratings provide the best picture of what a candidate stands for. They are proof of putting your money where your mouth is. In the case of endorsements the careful vetting process shows a due diligence that most individual voters cannot match. In the case of ratings, the public record of an office-holder’s performance speaks volumes about their stance on issues. Taken together, they provide a comprehensive guide to how the candidate thinks and acts in office, and within the community.

If you know the organizations that most closely mirror your position on issues, endorsements and ratings are an excellent shortcut to making decisions on election day.