Get to Know Your Ballot!

When you look up your ballot and review a nonpartisan ballot guide beforehand, you can read explanations that you understand, better connect the candidates to your everyday life, and more easily understand what any ballot measures actually do. Bring your notes or sample ballot to reference when you vote. This also helps you get in and out of the voting booth quickly – and helps the line move more efficiently for everyone! If you are voting by mail, you can research your ballot with your actual ballot in hand! 

Yes! In 2026, over 40,000 elected offices are on the ballot across the country, from your city or county council to the U.S. Congress. That includes every U.S. House seat, 35 U.S. Senate seats, 39 governor’s races, and 99 ballot measures across 36 states, alongside your local mayor, city council, and school board. Local, state, and federal elections each shape different parts of community life, and they influence one another — when you vote at every level, you help shape the future community and nation you want to live in. Fill in your information in the form above to see which elections are happening in your community this year. 

Yes! Federal, state, and local elections each shape different parts of your life, and they influence one another: Congress sets policy on things like student loans, immigration, and healthcare, while state and local officials decide how those federal dollars actually reach your community, along with issues like housing, transit, and public safety.

These races are often decided by just a few votes. When you vote at every level of your ballot, you help shape the future of your community and the country together.

 Affordability & Housing
The rising cost of rent, food, tuition, and other basics makes it harder to live, learn, and thrive. If you’ve struggled to afford rent or groceries, taken on debt to pay for school, or worked multiple jobs just to get by – your vote matters in local and state elections that decide what your life costs.

• Rent & housing supply → City Council, Planning Commission
• Tuition & financial aid → State Legislature, Governor
• Minimum wage → State Legislature, Ballot Measures
• Property taxes → County Boards, State Officials
• Food & transit affordability → City/County Officials

Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Public safety affects how safe you feel at school, in your neighborhood, and in public spaces. Local and state officials make key decisions about police, courts, and alternatives to incarceration.

• Police funding & policy → City Council, County Boards
• Prosecution priorities → District Attorneys
• Bail & sentencing rules → Local Judges
• Emergency response models → Mayors, Local Officials

Environment & Climate
From clean water to safe air and flood prevention, environmental decisions impact your health and future—right now and where you live.

• Trash, recycling, pollution → Local Officials, County Boards
• Land use & zoning → City Council, Planning Commissions
• Green space & flooding → Local Governments
• Transit & emissions → Transit Authorities, City Leaders
• Clean water access → Local Water Boards

Transportation & Infrastructure
Transportation affects how you access jobs, school, healthcare, and even fun. Infrastructure is visible and personal—cracked sidewalks, broken buses, or safe bike lanes.

• Bus & train systems → Local Transit Boards, City Councils
• Sidewalks, roads, bridges → Mayors, County Engineers
• Bike lanes & crosswalks → City Planning Commissions
• Transit access & affordability → State & Local Officials

Most local elections offices will have sample ballots available to their voters, so you can learn what’s on your ballot before you vote! In some areas they are sent to you directly by mail and/or you may be able to access them on your election office’s website.

Use your sample ballot as a cheat sheet so you know everything on your ballot ahead of time and can refer to it on Election Day! Look up your sample ballot.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by election information—some of it misleading or even completely false. If something triggers a strong emotional reaction, mixes fact with opinion, or makes you question what you already know, it’s a good idea to double-check before you share or act on it.

Here are some tips to help you spot and stop misinformation:

• Slow down. Watch the full video or read the entire post before sharing.
• Check your feelings. If something makes you feel angry or afraid, pause. Ask yourself why someone might want you to feel that way.
  Look at the language. Is it full of ALL CAPS, exclamation points, or name-calling? That could be a red flag.
• Check the source. Who wrote or posted it? What are their credentials? Are they qualified to speak on the issue?
• Cross-check. Use fact-checking sites like PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, Snopes, or Reverse Image Search to verify claims.
• Use tools like Media Bias/Fact Check to understand the slant and reliability of news sources.
• Ask yourself: Is this account authentic? Do I trust their intentions

Need trustworthy information about voting? Stick to official sources like:

• Your state or county election office website.
• The U.S. Election Assistance Commission
• Your Secretary of State’s site for accurate instructions
• Democracy Works’ How to Vote tools

Looking for info in Spanish? Check out:

• TVerifica (Telemundo)
• El Detector
• Factchequeado
• DDIA’s Latino-Focused Election Resources

There will be items on your ballot that range from local ballot measures to state and federal candidates. Often, state and local elections affect our lives in a more personal and immediate way than federal elections.

Your vote matters for every race, but it can make an especially big impact in your local community. You might even have the power to decide policy directly through ballot measures and referendums. You should have all the information you need to make the decisions that will impact your everyday life. Look up your own personalized ballot.

If you’re unsure who to vote for, start by researching candidates using trusted, nonpartisan resources like BallotReady, Ballotpedia, Vote411, and Guides.Vote. These platforms provide comprehensive information about candidates’ platforms and positions on various issues. Identify the key issues that matter most to you, such as healthcare, education, the economy, or the environment, and compare how different candidates address these concerns. If the candidates are incumbents, review their voting records and performance in office to better understand their effectiveness and alignment with your values.

Additionally, you can use nonpartisan voter guides that summarize candidates’ positions without endorsing any candidate. Participate in local candidate forums, debates, and town hall meetings to hear directly from the candidates. To ensure accuracy, verify the information you gather using reliable fact-checking websites. Lastly, review your sample ballot before voting to familiarize yourself with all the candidates and measures, making your voting experience more informed and efficient.

These are ways – specific to your city or town, county, or state – that allow you to have a very direct, local impact on your community! These can be referred to in lots of different ways depending on where you live: ballot measures, referendums, propositions, constitutional amendments and more. Ballot measures, veto referendums, and propositions typically impact state law, while constitutional amendments change state constitutions.

Your local town or city may even place local measures on the ballot for implementing taxes and raising funds. Instead of voting for a person who will make the decisions about a law or the spending of funds, you are making the decision yourself!

That’s totally okay! Here is a quick refresher that you can refer to when researching your ballot

General Terms

• Municipal – Anything related to your city or town government
• District – The geographic area you live in that determines which candidates you can vote for
• At-Large – A position where the whole city/county votes, not just your neighborhood

Types of Ballot Questions

• Ballot Measure – Any question on your ballot where you vote “yes” or “no” on a law, tax, or policy change
• Initiative – A new law proposed by citizens (not politicians) through collecting signatures
• Proposition – A proposed new law that you vote on directly (instead of politicians deciding)
• Referendum – A vote on whether to keep or reject a law that politicians already passed
• Constitutional Amendment – A proposed change to your state’s constitution that requires voter approval
• Charter Amendment – A change to your city or county’s basic governing rules

Money & Tax Questions

• Levy – A local tax you vote on (like for schools, parks, or emergency services)
• Mill Levy – A property tax rate (affects property owners and renters through rent prices)
• Bond/Bond Issue – Money borrowed by local government for big projects like buildings or roads (paid back through your taxes)

City/Local Level Candidates

• Mayor – The head of your city who oversees local services and represents the city
• City Council – Group of people who make laws for your city (like parking rules, noise ordinances)
• Ward – Your neighborhood section of the city that gets its own representative
• Municipal Court Judge – Handles minor local crimes and traffic violations.
• County Commissioner – Makes decisions about county services like roads, parks, and libraries
• Sheriff – The top law enforcement officer for your county (different from city police)
• District Attorney – The lawyer who decides whether to charge people with crimes
• County Clerk – Runs elections and keeps official records like marriage licenses
• School Board Member – Decides school policies, budgets, and hires the superintendent

State-Level Candidates

• State Representative – Represents your local area in the state government
• State Senator – Represents a larger area in the state’s upper chamber
• Governor – The head of your state government
• Attorney General – Your state’s top lawyer who enforces state laws
• Secretary of State – Runs state elections and maintains official state records
• State Supreme Court Justice – Top-level judge who makes final decisions on state law disputes

Find key, essential voter information for how to vote in the United States in your preferred language, from the menu options below:

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