I just follow the stranger’s guide. Sometimes I research elsewhere, decide who I like and compare it with The Stranger and it’s usually exactly who they pick.
I used to do this. Quick 3-5 minutes and the ballot was in the mail. I then had someone ask me who I voted for one year and I couldn’t for the life of me remember. I had used a cheat sheet and had no idea. I was then ridiculed for essentially being a useful idiot.
Nowadays I actually set aside 30 minutes to read the for/against on propositions, the information submitted by candidates for positions, and like yourself research elsewhere if I feel the need to. Most of the time I’m still in line with the stranger, but not always. This way I actually remember who I voted for 🙃