"It takes too much time. They're busy balancing lawmaking, full-time jobs and family. It's a nuisance and doesn't accurately reflect their positions.

Those are just some of the reasons Shenandoah Valley lawmakers give for not responding to a national survey by a nonpartisan voter-education organization.

In fact, Virginia lawmakers as a whole set a record for lack of participation -- only 8 percent answered the survey from Project Vote Smart.

"If candidates are unwilling to let there opponents know where they stand on the issues, how can they let the voters know?" Rachel Weiss, director of the organization's National Political Awareness Test, said in a written statement Thursday.

"If we allow access to crucial information to be stripped away from the voting public by paid political consultants and spin doctors, we are greatly compromising some of the basic principals this country was founded on. An informed electorate is essential to a healthy democratic system," she said.

In the Shenandoah Valley, only Del. Steven Landes filled out the questionnaire.

"It's not quick," said the Weyers Cave Republican, noting it took him up to 45 minutes to complete. "But it has pretty good questions. That survey is pretty objective and provides good information. It has good bipartisan support."

Project Vote Smart, based in Philipsburg, Mont., is a research library that gives voters information -- straight from 40,000 politicians and candidates -- on their backgrounds, positions, voting records and campaign finances. The group also post grades given the elected officials from more than 100 special-interest groups covering the political spectrum.

The organization does not support, oppose or lobby against any candidate and has 45,000 members, who have ranged from conservative Newt Gingrich and Barry Goldwater to liberals Geraldine Ferraro and George McGovern. More than 250 news organizations support Project Vote Smart with help crafting survey questions and gaining access to lawmakers and candidates.

Still, three out of four Virginia lawmakers from the Valley, and its congressman, were unswayed by the organization's survey.

"I'm up for re-election and just haven't gotten around to it," said Del. Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, "We're part-time legislators with full-time jobs."

In addition, Saxman said, some of the questions hinted at bias. And answers "can be twisted around and contorted."

Steve Sisson, who is running against state Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Mount Solon, said he is inundated with questionnaires. Some get personal and ask for "community standing and how much money you're making," said the Elkton Democrat.

"I just didn't see any value to it at the time,' he said of the Project Vote Smart survey.

Hanger was in Pennsylvania at a Chesapeake Bay Commission meeting and unavailable for comment Thursday, his legislative aide said.

The views of Landes were consistent with the survey's intent, according to Project Vote Smart.

"It's important for elected officials and people running for office to at least give voters a chance to see what their views are," he said.

Landes noted that may young voters get much of their information from the Internet, which is where Project Vote Smart keeps its library (www.vote-smart.org).

U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and this part of the Valley's congressman, issued a written statement through his spokeswoman, Elyse Bauer: "I, along with hundreds of other members of Congress, do not take part in Project Vote Smart because it does not accurately reflect legislative decisions members of Congress have made and, therefore, is misleading."

"I have cast thousands of votes in my over 10 years in Congress on very specific pieces of legislation, and that a better reflection of my stance on the issues."" (J. Todd Foster, News Virginian, September 5, 2003)

J. Todd Foster can be reached at jfoster@newsvirginian.com