Without reliable local news, voters are disenfranchised by silence—and Ballotpedia is working to fill that void.
Most conservative donors are acutely aware of the pervasive bias in mainstream news media, which has systematically driven American culture and elections leftward for three generations. While national alternative media has made significant strides in countering these narratives, local journalism has entered a state of total collapse.
Between September 2023 and September 2024, nearly two-and-a-half newspapers closed each week, leaving vast “information deserts” across the country. This erosion makes it nearly impossible for voters to find basic, reliable information about local candidates, school board races, and municipal ballot measures. Understanding local governance is not merely a matter of civic interest; it is essential for anyone who wants their voice heard in the decisions that matter most to their family and community. Without a factual baseline, the American voter is effectively disenfranchised by silence, leaving the door open for radical agendas to be implemented at the local level without public scrutiny or accountability.
Under the banner of Ballotpedia, the Lucy Burns Institute (LBI) is bringing information and transparency to local politics. Indeed, LBI was founded to solve this “ballot information problem” by creating Ballotpedia, the continually updated digital encyclopedia of American politics. With Ballotpedia, LBI provides curated, reliable content on all levels of U.S. politics, from the presidency down to the most obscure municipal office. The organization does all of this in real time for voters, helping create a truly informed citizenry going to the polls.
Their goal is audacious: to provide comprehensive coverage of the more than 580,000 elected positions in the United States, ensuring that voters are empowered even in the smallest local races. In 2024, LBI significantly expanded its reach by launching a dedicated “ultralocal” team. This specialized team provided voters with critical information on over 37,000 elections and 69,000 candidates in a single year. By aggregating data from government sources and public records, LBI’s professional staff ensures that every article is one-hundred-percent original, thoroughly vetted, and strictly committed to neutrality.
LBI shares with the Impact Fund an “all-in” commitment to the principle that informed voters are the indispensable foundation of a functioning democracy. Named in honor of Lucy Burns, the suffragette who fought for the conviction that voting is an essential expression of human dignity, LBI provides a gateway to learning about public policy and the administrative state. With over 700,000 original articles, Ballotpedia serves as an unparalleled resource for information on key policy areas, judicial selection, and federalism.
Informed voters are the bedrock of the American experiment.
Beyond the encyclopedia, LBI engages its audience through daily and monthly email newsletters that provide deep-dive analyses into specialized topics, ensuring that donors and citizens alike stay ahead of the curve. Looking forward, LBI is focused on scaling its technology to reach every “information desert” in the country, ensuring that the intricate laws governing our republic are accessible to the people, not just the elites. By maintaining a firm commitment to neutrality, LBI ensures that its content remains a trusted resource for all Americans.
The ultimate goal is an America where everyone has equal access to the accurate information required to participate in the political process and hold their government accountable, thereby preserving the American experiment for future generations.
Informed voters are the bedrock of the American experiment. Impact Fund members’ support of the Lucy Burns Institute is a direct investment in the integrity of our democracy and the preservation of our constitutional order. By funding the expansion of Ballotpedia’s local coverage, the Impact Fund is making truth accessible to far more citizens, protecting our elections from the influence of media bias.