FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the most common questions. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact us.
About the platform
What is The Candidate?
The Candidate is a non-partisan public directory of every federal candidate running for President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House. We pull sourced data from the FEC and other public records, label provenance on every fact, and let candidates claim their pages to add stated positions on top of the sourced facts.
Are you affiliated with a party or campaign?
No. We are independent and non-partisan. We do not endorse any party, ideology, or candidate, and we do not accept money from campaigns or PACs to influence what appears on the site.
Is the site free to use?
Yes. Reading candidate and race pages is free with no account required. Claiming a candidate page (for candidates and campaigns) is also free.
Data and sourcing
Where does your candidate data come from?
Federal candidate filings come from the FEC. Some additional context (party labels, district shapes) comes from other public sources. Every fact on a candidate page is labeled with its source and the date we last verified it. See the methodology page for the full contract.
How often is the data updated?
The FEC publishes new filings continuously; we re-ingest on a regular cadence and surface the most recent verification timestamp on each candidate page. Pages cache for up to 24 hours at our CDN to keep the site fast.
I found a mistake. How do I report it?
Email [email protected] with the candidate name, the field you think is wrong, and the public source we should re-check. We re-verify against the upstream source and update the page when warranted.
Claiming a candidate page
I am a candidate. How do I add my own info to my page?
Click "Claim this page" on your candidate page or visit /claim/<your-slug> directly. The form collects basic verification info; once we approve the claim you can post your stated positions, video, and contact info as candidate-stated content alongside the sourced facts.
How long does claim review take?
We review claims in the order received. Most are processed within 1-3 business days. We may ask for additional verification (e.g. an email from your campaign domain) before approving.
Can the campaign override sourced facts?
No. Sourced facts (party, district, FEC ID, etc.) come from public records and stay sourced. Candidate-stated content is shown in its own clearly-labeled panel so visitors can see exactly which facts came from where.
Privacy and security
Do you sell my data?
No. See our privacy policy for the full list of what we collect and how we use it. Short version: we use your email only to send you what you asked for, and we do not sell personal information to third parties.
Do I need an account to read candidate pages?
No. Public candidate, race, and state pages are readable without an account. An account is only needed for things like claiming a candidate page or accessing the dashboard.
Still stuck?
Email [email protected] and we’ll get back to you within a couple of business days.