Ballotpedia

🚨Applications close May 10th!🚨 40,000 local elections. 31 states. We can't cover them without you! Ballotpedia is looking for volunteers to join our Summer 2026 Fellows Program (May 26–July 24) and help expand access to free, nonpartisan election information. Fellows spend just 5–10 hrs/week in a flexible, fully remote program, and can earn volunteer hour documentation for school or course credit, plus letters of recommendation based on participation. Everyone deserves access to voter information that is timely, neutral, and nonpartisan. And our Fellows play a crucial role in making this happen. Check the image below to see what our volunteer program has accomplished this year! Apply at the link below, and please share with anyone who might be interested! https://lnkd.in/eJwj2Dzq

Happy National Volunteer Week! We want to take a moment to celebrate all of our volunteers and the many, many contributions they have made to Ballotpedia. So far this year, Ballotpedia volunteers have researched more than 25,000 local candidates and added over 30,000 attributes to our database! Collectively, they have also logged more than 4,400 hours of research. That time and effort translates directly into broader, more comprehensive coverage of local elections nationwide. It is not hyperbolic to say that millions of voters now have more complete information about the local candidates on their ballots because of their efforts. To our volunteers: we are so grateful for your hard work and dedication. Your contributions make a huge difference for voters nationwide, and we couldn’t be prouder to have you as part of the Ballotpedia community. Thank you so much!

Today is Local News Day! It's a day to celebrate and strengthen local news and information in communities across the country. It’s all about shining a spotlight on the trusted local outlets that keep residents informed and up-to-date. Ballotpedia is proud to support local journalists and newsrooms across the country as they compile voter guides, cover their municipal government, or research historical ballot measure data. Every person in every corner of the country deserves access to reliable, relevant, and accurate news about their community. As Ballotpedia continues to expand its coverage of local races across the country, we are so grateful for local newsrooms and the important work they do. Spring is the perfect time to celebrate Local News Day, as many newsrooms across the country are likely working to cover primaries in their area. So, to celebrate, connect with your local publication; research your local candidates on Ballotpedia! Stay informed about what matters most to you in your community. #LocalNewsDay

Local elections shape communities every day, and voters deserve access to accurate, nonpartisan information about every candidate on their ballot. This summer, we are working to expand our coverage of local elections, and you can help make that happen! Ballotpedia is now accepting applications for our Summer 2026 Fellows Program. From May 26 through July 24, 2026, fellows with a passion for expanding access to fact-based political information will research local candidates nationwide and contribute directly to the trusted voter research used by millions. The schedule is flexible, the work is fully remote, and the commitment is just 5 to 10 hours per week to accommodate school, extracurricular activities, or other responsibilities. We provide all required training, and all you’d need is access to a computer with a reliable internet connection. The application deadline is May 10. Ballotpedia can provide documentation for community service hours or course credit upon request. Tag a friend who would be a great fit, and reach out if you have any questions!

Ballotpedia needs you! This year, we are covering 40,000 local elections across 31 states, and we need you to help make it happen! We invite you to be part of our Summer 2026 Fellows Program, running from May 26 to July 24. This program requires a commitment of 5 to 10 hours per week and focuses on expanding access to free, nonpartisan election information. Key details include: - Flexible and remote participation - Volunteer hour documentation available for school or course credit - Potential for letters of recommendation based on participation Please note that applications close on May 10. If you have any questions about the Fellows Program, feel free to reach out. We encourage you to share this opportunity with anyone who might be interested!

Earlier this month, YPO Democracy Group hosted a discussion on ranked-choice voting (RCV), bringing together two panelists in support of RCV and two opposed to it. We were proud to see our own Director of External Affairs, Geoff Pallay, serve as moderator for the conversation. Geoff opened the webinar by walking attendees through how ranked-choice voting works, its history in the United States, and where it’s currently used. He asked each panelists specific questions about their points of view to help the audience gain a deeper understanding of ranked-choice voting. If you're interested in learning more about RCV, Ballotpedia has a comprehensive hub! You can learn the facts of RCV to make up your own mind about how you feel. And, we hope this serves as an important reminder that Ballotpedia is always here for you as you navigate complex topics.

Midterm elections are right around the corner, and we need your help to increase reliable, nonpartisan information for voters nationwide! This year, we are expanding local election coverage to 31 states, with five additional states now offering information on every local race. To ensure we have enough volunteer researchers to support this growth, the application deadline for the Spring 2026 Fellows Program has been extended through Feb. 15. As a Fellow, you will research assigned candidates and add key attributes such as contact information, endorsements, and campaign themes to Ballotpedia’s database. Your work will populate candidate profiles referenced by millions of voters nationwide, helping communities make more informed decisions. Reliable information on local elections is often difficult to find, and you can play a direct role in expanding access this spring. The Spring 2026 Fellows Program runs from Feb. 23 through April 24, 2026. Fellows volunteer 5 to 10 hours per week on a flexible schedule, and all work is fully remote. Applications close in five days! Share this opportunity with a friend, and let us know if you have any questions!

On Tuesday, the Kansas House Committee on Elections held a hearing on House Bill 2452. This bill, if approved, would change the timing of city, school, community college, and certain other municipality elections to fall in even-numbered years, or on-cycle years, as we refer to them. Ballotpedia staff writer Spencer Richardson was invited to testify, via Zoom, before the Kansas House Committee on Election to provide additional information on this bill. Spencer shared our research on voter turnout in Kansas, examining the differences between on-cycle and off-cycle elections using data from 2010 through November 2025. Readers, journalists, and legislators rely on Ballotpedia for nonpartisan and timely facts, and it was an absolute honor to be asked to present our data. If you have specific questions about election, timing, and turnout, please do not hesitate to reach out. We remain committed to producing reliable, nonpartisan election data and analysis that support informed discussion and decision‑making.

As we begin a new year and prepare for the 2026 midterms, we need your help to expand local election coverage for millions of voters. We invite you to apply to join the Spring 2026 Ballotpedia Fellows Program and take part in this important work! Applications are now open. Reliable, nonpartisan information about local candidates is often difficult to find. In 2026, Ballotpedia is expanding the scope of data we collect on local candidates and elections, and Fellows play a direct role in making that work possible. As a Ballotpedia Fellow, you will research assigned local candidates and add key information, such as contact information, endorsements, and campaign themes, to our database. After completing self-led training, you will contribute directly to a trusted resource used by millions of voters, journalists, and researchers. In 2025, Fellows helped add more than 70,000 data attributes to local candidate profiles. With a major midterm election year ahead, there is no better time to get involved. The Spring 2026 Fellows Program runs from Feb. 23 through April 24, 2026. Fellows volunteer 5 to 10 hours per week on a flexible schedule, and all work is fully remote. All you need is a computer with a reliable internet connection. Ballotpedia can provide documentation of volunteer hours for school, work, or course credit when applicable. Letters of recommendation or professional references may also be available based on individual participation. Applications will be accepted on a rolling, first-come basis. Don’t miss your chance to contribute to reliable local election coverage this spring! If you know someone who might be interested, please share this opportunity with them.

We launched our Fellows Program in 2020 to provide students interested in politics with a service opportunity that helps develop subject matter expertise in political research. What started as a new initiative has become a source of tremendous joy, and we have been honored to grow and learn alongside our dedicated volunteers. Since its launch, the program has expanded from just 16 participants to roughly 265 Fellows in Fall 2025, allowing us to research more candidates and deliver deeper, more comprehensive coverage of elections across the country. This year, we provided voters with coverage of every election up and down the ballot in 26 states. Ballotpedia Fellows and volunteers researched roughly 75,000 candidates, including more than 36,000 who ran in contested races. In total, volunteers collected 69,000 emails, websites, and social media pages. We are deeply grateful to every volunteer for their commitment, care, and hard work in helping to ensure that every voter has access to nonpartisan information. We encourage you to take a look at the ways we've grown since 2020. Applications for our Spring 2026 Fellows cohort are now open. We invite you to apply and take part in this important work. The Spring 2026 Fellows Program runs from Feb. 23 through April 24, 2026. Fellows volunteer 5 to 10 hours per week on a flexible schedule, and all work is fully remote. All you need is a computer with a reliable internet connection. Ballotpedia can provide documentation of volunteer hours for school, work, or course credit when applicable. Letters of recommendation or professional references may also be available based on individual participation. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through Feb. 4, 2026. Don’t miss your chance to contribute to reliable local election coverage this spring! And please, ask questions! We LOVE to talk about our beloved volunteers.