By OBBM Network Editorial Staff

Derived from an episode of On The Ballot – A Ballotpedia Show.

Ever wondered why, after scrolling through a ballot packed with familiar names, you suddenly hit a line of candidates you’ve never heard of? That moment of uncertainty can turn voting into a stressful guessing game, and it’s a problem that affects millions of Americans every election cycle.

The Vast Landscape of Down‑Ballot Offices

Norman Leahy, senior editor at Ballotpedia, paints a picture of the sheer scale of local elections. “There are about 500,000 contests nationwide,” he says, noting that many of these races involve positions most voters never consider, such as county treasurers, clerks of court, soil‑conservation districts, and even elected coroners in places like Wisconsin. These offices, though often obscure, play a direct role in everyday life— from overseeing local courts to managing natural resources.

Leahy points out that the average voter faces roughly 17 contests on a November ballot, yet “no voter in the country has ever made it all the way down to the bottom of the ballot without reaching the one where they’re like, well, heck, I have no idea who these two people are who are running against each other.” This lack of familiarity can lead to disengagement, especially when voters feel ill‑equipped to make informed choices.

Ballotpedia’s Mission: One‑Stop Sample Ballot Lookup

Ballotpedia’s answer to the information gap is a robust, searchable sample‑ballot tool. Leahy explains that the organization began focusing on down‑ballot races in 2016, after a decade of covering statewide ballot measures. “If anybody’s going to do this, it would be Ballotpedia,” he says, emphasizing the nonprofit’s commitment to filling the void left by dwindling local news outlets.

By November 2028, Ballotpedia aims to have “every contest that you’re going to see on your ballot” listed in its tool across all 50 states. The current coverage includes detailed information for roughly 22% of those contests, with names only for the remaining 78%. The goal is incremental: expand robust data for each race, prioritizing contested elections but eventually providing basic details for uncontested seats as well.

Grassroots Endorsements as a Shortcut

One innovative strategy involves aggregating endorsements from small, local groups. Leahy notes that Ballotpedia has identified about 2,800 grassroots organizations that endorse at least one local candidate. “We’ll tell our readers about the philosophical views of the endorsing group,” he explains, allowing voters to use those endorsements as a shorthand, much like party labels.

In 2024, the platform collected roughly 38,000 local endorsements. Because many down‑ballot races are officially nonpartisan—88% of them, according to Leahy—these endorsements provide essential context. Voters can see whether a candidate is backed by an “ultra progressive” group, a “conservative” coalition, or another community organization, helping them infer the candidate’s likely positions.

The Decline of Local News and Its Impact

Leahy attributes part of the information vacuum to the collapse of local media. He observes, “The media sources and civic sources that voters may have turned to in the past have gone out of business,” concentrating resources on high‑profile stories that generate clicks. This shift leaves voters without reliable, nuanced coverage of the many small‑scale races that directly affect their neighborhoods.

Ballotpedia’s approach seeks to counteract that trend by providing neutral, fact‑based profiles without the evaluative commentary that government websites avoid. The platform includes candidate bios, endorsements, and arguments for and against ballot measures, giving voters a comprehensive view that official sites typically lack.

Challenges Ahead and the Road to Full Coverage

Despite the ambition, Leahy admits the timeline is tight. “We’re still dealing with those issues,” he says, noting that many candidate pages go live only ten days before an election, limiting voter access. Traffic spikes in the final three weeks before the vote, straining the team’s capacity to update information quickly.

Nonetheless, the organization remains optimistic. Volunteers, staff, and supporters are expanding the database, and Leahy emphasizes patience: “We’ll get there with a lot more help and a lot more volunteers.” The ultimate aim is a national, one‑stop resource that demystifies every down‑ballot contest, encouraging informed participation and reducing voter fatigue.

By shedding light on the hidden layers of local elections, Ballotpedia hopes to turn the mystery of the ballot’s edge into a clear, navigable map— ensuring that every voter can make a confident choice, no matter how far down the list the race appears.

The full episode of On The Ballot – A Ballotpedia Show is available on OBBM Network TV.