1. Start with yourself
What do you believe, what do you want these officials to DO? For instance, say you feel strongly about eduction (you're for it). Well, all of the candidates are for education. How could anyone be against education? When you say you're for it, do you mean that class size should be smaller or do you think the school day should be longer? Are you for more testing? Are you for less testing? Are you for increased pay for teachers? Are you for classes starting later in the day? You've been through the education system. You have an informed opinion. What is it?
2. Look at the candidates.
Competence: Think of it as if you are interviewing them for a job. We're always told that the best predictor of future performance is past performance. What have they done? Do you approve of what they were trying to do? Were they effective?
Platform: You know what you believe - what do they say that they believe? Check their platform.
Supporters: What do people who spend their lives studying politicians think of them? Check out who is giving money to their campaign. If the timber industry is a big funder - then this candidate is not for saving public forests. Who has endorsed them? Are they people and organizations whose work you know and respect?
3. Choose
Some people believe that you've thrown away your vote if you don't vote for the person who you know in your heart would be best.
Other people say that you've thrown away your vote if you don't choose the person who can defeat the candidate you need defeated.
I know that you've thrown away your vote if you don't use it - VOTE! There may be people wiser than you who will vote, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there are plenty of people who are more foolish than you voting. You've looked at the information, you've done your analysis - VOTE!