Question 1

What is My Ballot Companion?

Accepted Answer

My Ballot Companion is a nonpartisan civic-education tool that helps everyday voters understand what's on their ballot.

We turn complicated ballot information into clear, plain-language explanations and help you understand why an item may matter based on the priorities and concerns you choose to share with us.

We don't tell you how to vote. We give you information and context so you can make your own decision.

Question 2

Is My Ballot Companion Democrat or Republican?

Accepted Answer

Neither.

My Ballot Companion does not support or oppose any political party, candidate, campaign, or ballot position.

Our job is to help you understand what's on your ballot, not persuade you what to do with your vote.

Question 3

Is My Ballot Companion affiliated with a political party, campaign, or advocacy organization?

Accepted Answer

No.

My Ballot Companion is an independent, nonpartisan civic-education tool. We do not endorse candidates, recommend how to vote, score candidates, or advocate for one side of a ballot measure.

Question 4

Who is behind My Ballot Companion?

Accepted Answer

My Ballot Companion is produced by Girls Who Can LLC as a nonpartisan civic-education initiative. We are not affiliated with a political party or political campaign.

Question 5

Where does My Ballot Companion get its ballot information?

Accepted Answer

My Ballot Companion uses verified election data provided through BallotReady to identify the elections and ballot items associated with your location.

We then use AI to help turn complicated election information into easier-to-understand explanations.

My Ballot Companion is an educational resource and does not replace information provided by your state or local election officials.

Question 6

What types of ballot items can My Ballot Companion explain?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the election and the information available for your location, your ballot may include candidate races, ballot measures, propositions, judicial races or retention questions, and other ballot items.

Available information can vary by election and jurisdiction.

Question 7

Does My Ballot Companion work everywhere?

Accepted Answer

Coverage depends on the election information available for your location.

Enter your address to see what ballot information is currently available to you. If information for your election isn't available yet, check back as Election Day gets closer.

For official election information, you can always consult your state or local election office.

Question 8

Is My Ballot Companion free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can use My Ballot Companion to understand your ballot at no cost.

Question 9

Are you going to tell me how to vote?

Accepted Answer

No.

My Ballot Companion helps you understand what's on your ballot and why an item may matter to you.

For each ballot item, you can choose how much information you want: Bite, Snack, or Meal.

When you share your priorities, circumstances, or concerns, you can also receive a personalized Why This May Matter to You explanation.

That personalization provides context. It is not a voting recommendation.

My Ballot Companion does not tell you to vote for or against a candidate or ballot measure. The decision is always yours.

Question 10

How does My Ballot Companion use AI?

Accepted Answer

My Ballot Companion uses AI in two primary ways.

First, AI helps turn complicated ballot information into clear Bite, Snack, and Meal explanations.

Second, AI helps explain Why This May Matter to You based on the priorities, circumstances, and concerns you choose to share.

The AI does not decide which position is right for you, recommend a candidate, tell you how to vote, or assign you a political identity.

Personalization is based on what you tell us matters to you.

Question 11

If I tell you what matters to me, will you tell me which way to vote?

Accepted Answer

No.

Your priorities help My Ballot Companion explain why an item may matter to you, not how you should vote on it.

For example, if you tell us education is important to you, we may explain how a ballot item relates to schools, funding, governance, teachers, or students.

We won't tell you whether that makes the proposal good or bad.

Two people who care deeply about the same issue can look at the same information and reach different conclusions. Your decision belongs to you.

Question 12

What does “Why This May Matter to You” mean?

Accepted Answer

It's the personalized part of your Ballot Companion.

After you tell us about the issues, circumstances, or concerns that matter to you, we use that information to identify connections between those priorities and a ballot item.

It is designed to answer a simple question: “What does this have to do with the things I care about?”

It does not tell you what conclusion to reach.

Question 13

Does My Ballot Companion create a political profile about me?

Accepted Answer

No.

We don't use your answers to label you as Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, independent, or any other political identity.

Your responses are used to make the information you receive more relevant to the priorities and concerns you choose to share.

Question 14

Does My Ballot Companion rank candidates or tell me which candidate is the best match for me?

Accepted Answer

No.

My Ballot Companion is not a candidate-matching or candidate-scoring tool.

We provide information and context to help you understand the choices on your ballot. We don't choose among them for you.

Question 15

Why should I trust an AI-generated ballot explanation?

Accepted Answer

AI can make complicated information easier to understand, but My Ballot Companion is not intended to replace the underlying election information.

That's one reason we give you multiple levels of explanation. You can start with a quick Bite, move into a Snack, or use the Meal when you want more detail.

When something doesn't look right, we want to know about it so it can be reviewed.

Question 16

What if I think something in my guide is wrong or missing?

Accepted Answer

Please contact us through the [Contact page](/contact) and tell us what you found.

Election information can change, and no technology is infallible. We take accuracy seriously and review reported issues.

Question 17

What are “Bite,” “Snack,” and “Meal” summaries?

Accepted Answer

Every ballot item is designed to let you choose how much information you want.

-Bite: The quickest explanation. A short, plain-language overview when you just want to understand the basics.
-Snack: More context and key details without requiring a deep read.
-Meal: The fullest explanation for when you want to understand the issue in greater depth.

Start with the Bite. If that's enough, keep going. If you want more, move to the Snack or Meal.

You decide how deep you want to go.

Question 18

Why does the guide ask what matters to me?

Accepted Answer

Because understanding a ballot item and understanding why it may matter to you are two different things.

A homeowner, renter, parent, college student, retiree, teacher, small-business owner, or someone concerned about public safety may have very different questions about the same ballot item.

Your answers help My Ballot Companion surface context relevant to the priorities you identify.

They do not change the underlying ballot information or determine how you should vote.

Question 19

Can I tell My Ballot Companion about my personal situation?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

In addition to selecting your priorities, you can share relevant circumstances or concerns that could help provide useful context.

For example, you might tell us you're a renter, homeowner, parent, student, retiree, teacher, or small-business owner. You might also share a concern such as property taxes, housing, education, transportation, or public safety.

My Ballot Companion uses what you provide to create Why This May Matter to You context. It does not use that information to tell you which position to support.

Question 20

What if I don't want to share personal information?

Accepted Answer

You don't have to provide additional personal context just to learn about what's on your ballot.

The personalization is there to make the information more relevant when you want it.

Question 21

I'm not very comfortable with technology. How does this work?

Accepted Answer

We've designed My Ballot Companion to be simple.

1. Start your guide.
2. Enter the information needed to identify your ballot.
3. Tell us what issues or concerns matter to you, if you'd like personalized context.
4. Explore the items on your ballot using Bite, Snack, or Meal explanations.
5. Read Why This May Matter to You when you want to understand how an item connects to the priorities you've shared.

Take as much or as little time as you want.

Question 22

Do I have to read the full explanation for every ballot item?

Accepted Answer

No.

That's exactly why we created Bite, Snack, and Meal.

Sometimes you need the quick version. Sometimes something catches your attention and you want to understand more.

You choose how much information you want for each item.

Question 23

Why does my guide mention things like schools, housing, taxes, transportation, or public safety?

Accepted Answer

Because those may be connected to priorities or concerns you told us matter to you.

My Ballot Companion uses your own input to help identify relevant context.

We don't decide what should matter to you. You do.

Question 24

Can a church, HOA, school, community organization, or other group share My Ballot Companion?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Organizations are welcome to share My Ballot Companion as an educational resource so their members can explore their own ballots.

Using or sharing My Ballot Companion does not mean the organization endorses any candidate, political party, or ballot position.

Question 25

Why does My Ballot Companion ask for my address?

Accepted Answer

Your location is necessary to determine which elections and ballot items apply to you.

Someone living across town can have different local races or ballot questions, so location matters when identifying the correct ballot information.

Your address is not used to determine your political beliefs or tell you how to vote.

Question 26

Why do you ask about my priorities or concerns?

Accepted Answer

Only to personalize the educational context you receive.

The information you choose to provide helps generate Why This May Matter to You explanations.

It is not used to assign you a political identity or determine which candidate or position you should support.

Question 27

How is my information handled?

Accepted Answer

We take privacy seriously.

For complete information about what data My Ballot Companion collects, how it is used, how long it is retained, and the choices available to you, please review our [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy).

Question 28

Can My Ballot Companion tell me whether I'm registered to vote?

Accepted Answer

My Ballot Companion is designed to help you understand what's on your ballot. Official voter-registration information comes from state and local election authorities.

You can use [Vote.gov](https://vote.gov) to find your state's official registration resources. Registration procedures and deadlines vary by state.

You can also use [Can I Vote](https://www.canivote.org), a nonpartisan resource created by state election officials that links voters to official state resources for registration status, polling places, voter ID requirements, absentee and early voting, and more.

Question 29

Where can I find my polling place, voting hours, voter ID requirements, or early-voting information?

Accepted Answer

Voting procedures vary by state and sometimes by local jurisdiction.

For current information specific to where you live, use your state or local election office or [Can I Vote](https://www.canivote.org). It provides links to official state election resources for polling places, acceptable forms of ID, absentee voting, and early voting.

Question 30

What ID do I need to vote?

Accepted Answer

Voter identification requirements vary by state.

Rather than relying on a general rule, check the requirements for your specific state through your state election office or [Can I Vote](https://www.canivote.org).

Question 31

Can I bring My Ballot Companion or notes with me when I vote?

Accepted Answer

Rules about electronic devices, printed materials, notes, photography, and conduct inside polling places vary by jurisdiction.

Check with your state or local election office before Election Day to learn the rules that apply where you vote.

Question 32

Who can I contact if I have questions or experience a problem voting?

Accepted Answer

For nonpartisan voting assistance, call or text [866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)](tel:+18666878683).

The [Election Protection](https://866ourvote.org) coalition provides nonpartisan voter information and assistance with registration, absentee and early voting, voting at the polls, and problems that may interfere with voting.

Question 33

What will My Ballot Companion never do?

Accepted Answer

My Ballot Companion will never:

-Tell you how to vote. No “Vote Yes,” “Vote No,” or candidate endorsements.
-Choose the “best” candidate for you. We don't score, rank, or match you with candidates.
-Assign you a political identity. We don't label you Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, independent, or anything else based on your answers.
-Use personalization as a hidden recommendation. “Why This May Matter to You” provides context based on what you've told us matters to you. It does not tell you what conclusion to reach.
-Pretend AI is the official source of election information. My Ballot Companion is an educational tool. Official election information comes from state and local election authorities.
-Intentionally advocate for a political party, candidate, campaign, or ballot position. Our purpose is understanding, not persuasion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding Your Ballot Is Easier Than You Think

Still Have Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding Your Ballot Is Easier Than You Think

01. What is My Ballot Companion?

02. Is My Ballot Companion Democrat or Republican?

03. Is My Ballot Companion affiliated with a political party, campaign, or advocacy organization?

04. Who is behind My Ballot Companion?

05. Where does My Ballot Companion get its ballot information?

06. What types of ballot items can My Ballot Companion explain?

07. Does My Ballot Companion work everywhere?

08. Is My Ballot Companion free?