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How to find information about local elections
From Ballotpedia
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Finding election information can be difficult, especially at the local level. Electoral systems throughout the United States vary, even within the same state, so there is no one-size-fits-all method to find local candidate lists or election results. However, Ballotpedia has developed the following tips after years of researching local elections.
Searching advice and suggestions
- Step 1 - Start broadly: If you don't know how your state's election system works, it's always best to start at the topmost election authority, such as the secretary of state's office or the state's board of elections. Some states, such as Louisiana, publish local, state, and federal election information all in one place. Work your way down from there, starting with your county government website, then the city website, and finally the board, district, or court website depending on the type of office you're researching.
- Use a variety of search terms: Sometimes you won't be able to find an election authority, or you'll find an election authority but not the information you want. In your search engine, try looking up "COUNTY election board" or "CITY candidates." Other helpful search terms include "elections YEAR," "filed candidates," "current elections," etc.
- Search through government website menus: If you think a website has the election information you are searching for but you're not sure where, try using the website menus. In many communities, you can find the election authority by looking at the site map or in the Government section of the county or city website. Common local election authorities include city clerk, clerk of courts, recorders, and election boards.
- Step 2 - Read local news sources: If you're unable to find information about a local election on an official website, check your local and state news sources. A reporter may have posted candidate lists following a ballot access filing deadline or vote totals after election night.
- Step 3 - Try direct outreach: Election information isn't always available online; sometimes you will need to send an email, make a phone call, or even visit a government office to find this information. If you have completed some research into your local election authority, you may already know who to get in touch with because they list their contact information online. If you aren't sure who to contact, a good place to start is your local city hall. Even if they are not the relevant election authority, they should be able to point you in the right direction.
Understanding the content
- Don't ignore inconsistencies: You've found the list of candidates or election results, but something doesn't seem quite right. Maybe a candidate is listed in multiple districts, or the winner didn't receive the most votes. It's always possible that the information is correct, but it's also possible that there is a mistake in the data. If you think you've found an error, reach out to the election authority and ask about it.
- Search in multiple places: Sometimes you'll find a candidate list that seems incomplete or races you know took place are missing from election results. In these cases, it helps to look for different sources. Sometimes an election authority will list all the candidates participating in races on a certain election date, but will not list all the candidates who filed for the election. If this happens, try looking for a more specific source. If the state only lists certain candidates or results, try looking at the county level, the city level, the school level, etc.
- Look for publishing dates: If you do find election information online, make sure to double-check when it was published. Municipalities don't always update their information each year, so candidate lists or election results that have "current" in their title may actually be from previous election cycles. It's possible that the up-to-date information is somewhere else on the site, so it is worthwhile to keep searching. However, direct outreach may become necessary.
Visual examples
Here is a screenshot of the Iowa Secretary of State's election website:
Here is a screenshot of the Los Angeles County Registrar's election website:
Election agency websites like this typically have menus you can navigate through to find more election information, as well as contact information for the agency.
See also
Footnotes
