About Our Data Sources
GAMC brings election and candidate information together from
official public sources so voters can explore elections,
offices, races and candidates in one consistent format.
Election information in the United States is published by many
different state and local authorities, using many different
websites, file formats, naming conventions and data structures.
GAMC collects information from those sources and normalizes it
into a common structure that can be searched, compared and
presented consistently across the site.
Where Our Election Data Comes From
Whenever practical, GAMC uses official election-authority
sources such as Secretaries of State, State Boards of Elections,
election divisions and other government election offices.
On individual election, race and candidate pages, we identify
the source or sources associated with the information being
displayed and provide links back to the originating authority.
Our public source directory may include the primary website for
each election authority from which GAMC obtains election data.
Individual source files, download locations and publication
methods may change over time.
What GAMC Does With the Data
Official election data is not published in one nationwide
format. One state may publish a spreadsheet, another a CSV
file, another a web application, and another may divide the
information among several different sources.
GAMC processes these different sources into a consistent data
model for elections, offices, races, candidates and
candidacies. This may include normalizing office names,
districts, jurisdictions, candidate names, party descriptions,
election dates and related geographic information.
The goal is not to replace the official election authority.
The goal is to make information from many official authorities
easier to discover and understand in one place.
Official Data and Candidate-Provided Information
GAMC distinguishes between information obtained from official
election sources and information supplied directly by a
candidate or an authorized campaign representative.
Official-source information can include items such as candidate
names, offices, elections, districts, party or affiliation,
filing information and other data published by an election
authority.
Candidate-provided profile information may include biographies,
photographs, campaign websites, experience, education,
priorities, issue statements, responses to questions and other
campaign material.
Candidate-provided information is identified separately so that
visitors can understand where information on a candidate page
originated.
Independent Research
Some GAMC pages may also provide tools for discovering
independently published information about a candidate,
campaign, race or election.
Web search results, AI-assisted research, news sources and other
independently published material are not treated as statements
supplied or approved by a candidate unless explicitly
identified as such.
Updates and Data Freshness
Election information changes. Candidates may qualify,
withdraw, change filing information, or have information
corrected by an election authority.
GAMC records source and update information where available and
periodically refreshes election data from its originating
sources.
A date shown beside a source indicates when the data associated
with the displayed GAMC information was retrieved or updated.
The originating election authority remains the authoritative
source for official filing and ballot information.
Source Directory
We believe voters should be able to see where election
information comes from. GAMC therefore provides links to the
primary official sources used in building its election data.
Source directory coming here:
this section can be generated directly from the active GAMC
election-source records and grouped by state or jurisdiction.
Corrections and Concerns
If information displayed on GAMC appears incomplete,
inaccurate, outdated or improperly attributed, please let us
know.
When possible, include the candidate, election or page involved
and describe the specific information you believe should be
reviewed. Our team can compare the GAMC record with the
originating source and determine whether a correction,
clarification or source update is appropriate.
Contact GAMC
Data Access and Licensing
GAMC and American Voter Services are developing structured
election-data services for organizations that need election,
race and candidate information in a consistent format.
Future data services may include downloadable datasets,
custom exports, data feeds, APIs and other licensed access to
normalized election information.
Organizations interested in election-data access, integrations
or licensing can contact American Voter Services for additional
information.