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I guess it’s officially that time. You know, the time before an election where everything that everyone is talking about seems to be grounded in politics.

I was sick of it before it even started, but now that it’s here, I’m really, really sick of it.

I think that’s probably because so much of what I see involves the worst of the worst: uncivilized bickering, sweeping statements, unresearched stances and, of course, the most heinous things done and said by candidates. (For that last one, think Holocaust denier Art Jones, Congressional candidate in Illinois; and Rep. Todd Akin, who made a comment about “legitimate” vs. illegitimate rape.)

Those examples just happen to be targeting Republicans, but the truth is candidates from all parties have done and said outrageous things. And venting online about these people is understandable. But I firmly believe if we’re going to bring this debate to our social networks, we ought to at least be informed, civilized and promoting useful messages.

That’s why I was glad to see a friend on Facebook had posted something I think falls into those categories.

“Not sure who you should be voting for based on your beliefs? Take a few minutes to answer these questions. Your results might surprise you!” my friend wrote on Facebook.

She posted a link to iSideWith.com — a site that describes itself as “not affiliated with any political party, candidate, or interest group.”

“iSideWith.com was started in March 2012 by two friends with two very different views of politics. Our goal is to save users time by providing an accurate and updated breakdown of which candidates they side with on the issues. We aim to educate voters and to boost voter turnout this election season,” their About page explains.

I make it a point not to make my political opinions known — even to those closest to me in many cases — but I took the quiz using a variety of answers to see how it worked.

My answers matched up to neither of the two main parties, which I thought made sense because I made sure my faux answers were all over the board.

But the site doesn’t just offer this quiz. There are interviews, videos, blog posts and comparisons that can help voters become more informed easily. 

Of all the political messages I’ve seen flood my news feed, I’m glad to see one with such a great purpose that’s being used in a smart way. Social to help spread the word, but deep and thoughtful enough to make a difference.

Check out iSideWith.com, and let me know what you think.