The 2012 election is right around the corner and candidates are ramping up their efforts to reach out to everyone, especially new voters.  So they’ve infiltrated the social scene and of course apps.  But all their efforts can make things more complicated, decisions harder to make.

Many are looking for ways to help them decide who to vote for.  Thankfully there are apps out there to help along the decision-making process and stay abreast of political developments.  Here are just some of the apps on the Android platform to check out:

VoterHub

This app was developed by AT&T to help people register to vote, check registration status, find out registration requirements and ballot info.  It provides detailed information on candidates, features latest election news from Associated Press, videos related to the election, countdown to the elections, music from artists who tell people the importance of voting, and more.

NYTimes Election 2012

A one-stop destination for political news and the Election Guide includes: live election results and county-by-county maps, vote projections from Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight, database of polling results from a variety of organizations, candidate pages with updates, bios and statistics, and primary calendar with in-depth information on each state.  The app also offers Editorials, op-eds and blog posts from The Times’s opinion pages and videos and slideshows from the campaign trail.

VoterMap

This app is a map based forum for political discussion.  It lets you post and comment on current issues such as the presidential candidates, the election itself, Tea Party, Democrats, Republicans, Mosque at Ground Zero, Immigration, Abortion, local and regional issues and much more.  If you’re a political junkie, this app will either make your day as you find other people that agrees with your opinion or break it as you’d find many who would disagree with what you have to say.  But the beauty of this app is that it lets you view the situation in a different light.

Comedy Central Indecision App

If you think you have the guts to go head-to-head with other players to prove which party is smarter, Democrats or Republicans, then this fun game is for you.  You can run a smear campaign against your opponents, answer humorous political questions as fast as you can while the clock ticks away, and it tracks which political party is ahead in the game.  You can also dress up your avatar, taunt opponents with clever campaign slogans, and if you play often, you can earn greenbacks and access special content to give you an edge against your opponent.  All the election actions right in the palm of your hand.  This social game will, however, require a Facebook account.

Election Game 2012

Though the election is a serious matter, not everything about it has to be serious.  This strategy-based game is from Lunagames and in it you have to choose a candidate, start your electoral campaign and race to the White House.  It goes beyond an ordinary board game and offers a fully interactive US campaign map allowing you to travel the nation and set your campaign priorities.  But whoever you choose, Barack Obama (Democrat) or Mitt Romney (Republican) comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and obstacles like scandals to overcome.  So if you think you have what it takes to be the next President of the United States, you’ll enjoy playing this game.

These apps won’t tell you who to vote for but they can help you decide wisely.  Do not vote for someone because everyone you know is voting for him.  Vote for someone who you think would lead this country to greatness.  Vote for someone who you think puts the interest of the nation on the forefront.  Vote smart.