Nonpartisan website seeks to build voters trust

Lisette Livingston |

As the election draws near, a website designed to allow candidates the opportunity to have their backgrounds and credentials confirmed by an independent third party source is changing how the public can access information about people running for office.

Authorized by the candidate and conducted by its exclusive partner TalentWise, the background

check will consist of a 10 year criminal record search, 10 year civil record search, 10 year

employment verification, post-secondary education verification, professional license verification,

and a national sex offender registry search.

Candidates will have an opportunity to review and dispute the results of their background

check prior to public release. Voters can go to www.CandidateCheck.net to view the

information and will see a summary report of any candidate that completes the check. Voters

can also track who has been checked.

The company is the brainchild of CandidateCheck LLC, which is registered in Washington

State. Founded by David Doud and Todd Owens, the mission of the organization is to

leverage workforce best practices in order to increase voter trust and confidence.

Because formal background screening is not a part of our election process, our democracy suffers. Voters are left to their own devices to sort through the campaign noise and separate fact from fiction in choosing their candidates, said Doud.

Over the past 20 years, pre-employment background screening has become an accepted,

if not expected part of the hiring process, said Todd Owens, general manager of TalentWise, a leading provider of employment screening solutions to thousands of businesses

nationwide.

By conducting an appropriate level of due diligence, employers can improve workforce productivity and reduce the risk to their financial assets, their people, and their

customers. We are pleased to assist CandidateCheck in its effort to extend the same level of

due diligence to candidates for public office, he said.

CandidateCheck plans to publicize those candidates who have, as well as those who

have not, conducted their background check on www.CandidateCheck.net and is currently

in discussions with select regional and national media outlets to drive bi-partisan adoption

of the tool to raise voter awareness.

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