Ballotpedia

Lion Publishers recently sat down with Ballotpedia founder and CEO, Leslie Graves, to discuss how Ballotpedia is supporting local journalists throughout the 2024 election season. Take a look at what she has to say. And, if you're a journalist and would like help covering a local story in your area, please feel free to email [email protected]. Journalists are a crucial component in solving the ballot information problem and we love working together! https://lnkd.in/d5rzxNr6

Earlier today, the Texas Senate held a hearing on runoff elections to learn more about the current runoff threshold in Texas, how often runoffs are occurring, and if this is comparable to other states. Ballotpedia’s editor-in-chief, Geoff Pallay was invited to testify in front of the Senate to provide important context and historical data on Texas’ runoff elections in state legislative primaries. We spend so much time writing about state legislatures, and it was such a thrill to physically be in one! 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. For the super wonks, Geoff's testimony can be found at the link below. It begins around the 1:41 mark: https://lnkd.in/e-6FuaAw

If you're voting in November, we're here to help! Take a look at some helpful maps to reference while making your voting plan. As always, please reach out if you have questions. #nationalvotereducationweek

Calling political science educators! ?Empower your students with hands-on political research this election cycle. Ballotpedia’s Student Researcher Program offers an easy, self-paced opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in local candidate research. If you're a political science educator and interested in learning more about this new program, please fill out this interest form. If you have additional questions, email [email protected]. https://lnkd.in/eVF2x7WC

National Voter Education Day marks the official start of election season. But, at Ballotpedia, we have been prepping for these next 7 weeks all year long. We are thrilled to introduce our new Voter Toolkit, complete with everything you need to vote with confidence this November! The toolkit includes access to your sample ballot, offices up for election in your area, presidential election coverage, FAQs about voting, poll times, and policy coverage so you can stay up-to-date on the issues that matter most to you. Your ballot is important and you deserve to feel completely confident in the choices you’re making. If you’re daunted by the process or feel confused, we promise you that you’ve got this, and we’ve got you! https://lnkd.in/e9VZVNEa

This is the last week to apply to Ballotpedia's Fellows Program! Applications will close on August 18th. Every voter in America should have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the candidates on their ballot. And, as we inch closer to November, this mission becomes even more critical. Become a Ballotpedia Fellow this fall to help research important data points about local candidates across the country. Apply today: https://lnkd.in/eivjtRm3

"In answer to your question: Yes, American politics has never been like this before." -Leslie Graves, Ballotpedia Founder and CEO, writes in her monthly column with PBS's Preserving Democracy. Graves writes about how, in these times, rejecting hyperbole and violence is crucial. To do this, Graves recommends stepping away and taking a nice, deep breath. After that... we must get to work. Get to work by becoming informed, thoughtful, active participants in our civic life.?The full Pathfinder column can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eHePvEfY

As we approach November, the work our Fellows do is more important than ever! Take a look at some of the amazing data from our Spring 2024 Fellows: -7,742 attributes/data points on candidates found -3,776 candidates researched -747 volunteer hours logged If you, or anyone you may know, is interested in becoming a Ballotpedia Fellow this election season, please share this application with them! And, reach out if you have questions. We are SO proud of the program and happy to talk about it. https://lnkd.in/eivjtRm3

Deepfakes have become a pressing social and political issue that an increasing number of state lawmakers are trying to address through legislation. The number of bills in this space has grown from an average of 28 per year from 2019-2023, to 294 bills introduced to date in 2024. Deepfake-related bills have increased 950% over the previous five-year average. To understand this giant increase in deepfake legislation, let’s start at the beginning. What is a deepfake? According to the Government Accountability Office, deepfakes are “videos, audio, or images that seem real but have been manipulated with AI.” You’ve probably seen a deepfake image or video, as many have gone viral; think of the pope in a puffer jacket. While some may be considered humorous, most are not. Organizations, lawmakers, and journalists have expressed concerns about deepfake technology. These concerns include the proliferation of child sexual abuse material and other nonconsensual sexual content and the distribution of deceptive political communications and election disinformation, just to name a few. With the increasing prevalence of AI, legislators are working to address these concerns. That’s why Ballotpedia has created and launched a comprehensive AI Deepfake Legislation Tracker and Ballotpedia’s State of Deepfake Legislation 2024 Annual Report, available here. The goal of Ballotpedia’s newest tracker is simple: to let people know what’s happening—in real time—with deepfake legislation in all 50 states. The tracker provides historical context on deepfake legislation going back to 2019 and covers these topics: - Political and election-related communications - Pornographic and child sexual abuse material (so-called deepfake nudes) - Fraud and extortion - Property rights Access the new tracker here: https://lnkd.in/gigGXyzN

Ballotpedia's Founder and CEO, Leslie Graves, writes monthly columns with PBS's Preserving Democracy. Each month she explores topics vital to understanding American civics. This month's column discusses how individual voters can regain their agency in our two-party system that often favors specific voters in key swing states. The full column is available here: https://lnkd.in/ePbAUhj2