If you have any interest in what the cool kids call “defensive voting” I recommend ballotpedia.org as a resource for finding out what candidates and questions will be in your local ballot. The questions especially can have some pretty strong consequences, but they often don’t get as much press as national candidates, so there’s an opportunity to attempt to educate people about the relevant issues before they’ve formed their opinions.
I live in Massachusetts, and the state has four ballot questions this year – one on licensing more slot machines in the state; one on expanding the charter school system; one on banning animal products from farms that use cages too small to allow the animal to stand, lie down, or turn around; and one on legalizing marijuana for people at least 21 years of age.
Past Massachusetts ballots have featured questions on euthanasia and on whether the state should essentially discontinue its public housing program. I hear California has a ballot proposition this year that could determine the legality of the death penalty within the state. (BallotPedia tells me it’s Proposition 62.)
So if you’re going to vote, go forth and research your ballot.