Mission

Every voter deserves a ballot they can actually understand.

DecodeTheVote is an independent, nonpartisan project that turns the whole ballot — from President to local judge — into plain language any voter can read, grounded in public records and free for everyone.

Why it exists

A ballot can run dozens of races deep, and most voters have never heard of half the names on it. Real information exists — but it is scattered across agencies, buried in filings, or wrapped in partisan spin. We put it in one place so an informed vote does not require a research project.

How it works

Every candidate profile is built from primary sources — FEC filings, Congress.gov voting records, OpenStates, the Federal Register — and every claim links back to where it came from. Grades score transparency and track record, never party or ideology.

Who it's for

Every voter — regardless of zip code, income, or politics. No account to create, no ads, no paywall. The same nonpartisan analysis, free for everyone, on every device.

One standard for every candidate.

We do not endorse, rank by ideology, or take money from parties or campaigns. The job is simple: give every voter the same sourced, readable picture of who is on their ballot.