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Start with your state or local election office to confirm exactly what is on your ballot and which rules apply where you vote. Use your sample ballot as the checklist of races and measures, then consult a voter guide for background. For a nonpartisan supplement, VOTE411 offers candidate and election information, including ballot-measure information where applicable. No single guide should be assumed to cover every contest in every location.
Start with the election office for your jurisdiction
Election details are administered across state and local jurisdictions, so first identify the election date and the place where you are registered. Your official state or local election office is the source to confirm your current ballot, races, measures, and jurisdiction-specific voting information. The National Association of Secretaries of State’s #TrustedInfo2026 initiative directs voters to election officials’ websites and materials for timely election-process information.
Make sure any page or guide you use matches both your jurisdiction and election. A credible guide for another state—or an earlier election—may not answer what is on your ballot.
Use a sample ballot and voter guide for different jobs
| Resource | What it helps you do | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Sample ballot | See the contests, candidates, and ballot measures expected on your ballot. | Confirm the jurisdiction and election date. It is an inventory, not necessarily candidate or measure background. |
| Voter guide | Learn about candidates and ballot questions. Depending on the state and guide, it may include candidate experience and goals, measure explanations, official summaries, fiscal analysis, and arguments for or against. | Check who prepared it, what it covers, how information was gathered or reviewed, and whether it matches your ballot. |
USAGov explains the distinction between sample ballots and voter guides. Their contents and availability vary by state and election; the National Conference of State Legislatures and Election Assistance Commission describe the range of state practices in Election Administration in the United States.
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Use VOTE411 as a nonpartisan supplement
VOTE411 is run by the League of Women Voters Education Fund. The League says it neither supports nor opposes candidates, and VOTE411 describes offering general and state-specific election information, including factual candidate information and ballot-measure information where applicable.
Use it alongside—not instead of—your official ballot information. VOTE411 describes a broad federal, state, and local service, but does not guarantee a profile or response for every race in every place or election. If a candidate is missing from a guide, that alone does not establish whether the candidate is on your ballot or how qualified they are. Confirm ballot status with your election office.
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Evaluate candidate and measure claims carefully
For candidates, distinguish a response from a record
A questionnaire records what a candidate says about experience, priorities, or positions. Treat those answers as attributed statements, not independently verified facts. Where public records relevant to the office are available, compare the candidate’s claims and goals with those records.
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Read the measure’s actual text when available, then compare it with an official summary or explanation and any fiscal-impact analysis. Arguments for and against a measure are advocacy, even when they appear in an official voter guide. NCSL and EAC note that some states allow proponents and opponents to submit arguments and may have an official review process; some jurisdictions also include fiscal-impact statements. The presence of an argument in a guide does not make it a neutral explanation.
Check a source before relying on it
Judge a guide by whether it answers your election question, not just by its general reputation. Check these details:
- Authority: Is it an official election-office resource or an outside guide?
- Jurisdiction and date: Does it match your location and the election you will vote in?
- Coverage: Does it include every race and measure on your sample ballot?
- Method and inclusion rules: Does it explain how candidate information is gathered and which candidates or measures are included?
- Claim type: Can you tell candidate statements, documented facts, official explanations, and campaign arguments apart?
- Measure detail: Does it offer the text, a neutral explanation, fiscal effects, and arguments where available?
- Access: Is the information available in a language or format you can use, such as print, audio, or another accessible format?
These checks help reveal both a guide’s strengths and what it leaves out. If a needed detail is absent, consult the election office or another source that can establish it.
Check local rules before bringing notes to vote
USAGov says voters can bring notes, guides, or sample ballots, but phone-use restrictions may apply at polling places. Check your local rules rather than assuming you can consult a phone inside. A paper copy of your notes or guide avoids depending on phone access.
Example: California’s 2026 state voter guide
California’s Secretary of State provides an official voter information guide for the November 3, 2026 general election and describes it as nonpartisan. The page says the guide was certified August 10, 2026, and directs voters to the Secretary of State and county election offices for additional trusted information. This is a California example, not a schedule or rule for other states; check your own election office for current local details.
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