How America Decides

The long presidential race is almost over. The candidates are jockeying to get their messages across. But which ones sink in, and which ones fizzle? How do you ultimately decide? A TIME survey of American attitudes on the eve of a historic election yields some surprising answers

Campaign '08

The Frugal Voter

dek
Philip J Brittan / Getty

You learn the candidates' stands only on topics you really care about, ignoring all else. Although people who do this are often called single-issue voters, you may have multiple concerns.

• These issues usually are symbolic or emotional — abortion, for example — rather than technical policy choices.

• This strategy maximizes efficiency. You don't need to invest a lot of time seeking information. For you, the candidates' positions on the issue you care about explain all you need to know

Next The Intuitive Voter