Tools for Election Coverage

Published April 2026 · Last updated April 2026

Election coverage depends on four things: following campaign money, tracking what candidates have actually done, understanding the districts they represent, and verifying their claims. Every tool in this guide is free. Most are built by nonprofits specifically for journalists and researchers.

Follow the money

OpenSecrets

OpenSecrets tracks money in US politics. It compiles data from FEC filings, lobbying disclosures, and personal financial disclosures into searchable profiles. Look up any federal candidate and see who funds them, how much they've raised, which industries back them, and how their fundraising compares to opponents.

OpenSecrets covers federal races, PACs, super PACs, dark money groups, and lobbying expenditures. Its bulk data downloads let reporters build their own analysis. The API provides programmatic access to campaign finance data for newsroom tools and interactive graphics.

Key features for election coverage:

  • Donor lookup — search by name, employer, or zip code to find who's funding campaigns in your area
  • Industry profiles — see which industries give the most to which candidates and parties
  • Outside spending — track super PAC and dark money spending in specific races
  • Personal finances — access financial disclosure reports for sitting members of Congress

Track legislation

BillTrack50

BillTrack50 tracks legislation across all 50 states and Congress. Search by keyword, topic, or sponsor. Set alerts for bills in specific policy areas. During election season, it answers the question reporters ask most: what has this candidate actually voted for?

BillTrack50 covers bill text, sponsor lists, committee assignments, and vote records. The free tier provides basic search and tracking. The pro tier adds custom dashboards and legislative scorecards.

For state-level races, BillTrack50 is especially valuable. State legislative records are fragmented across 50 different websites with different formats. BillTrack50 normalizes them into one searchable interface.

Map districts and demographics

Census Reporter

Census Reporter makes US Census data accessible without a statistics degree. Enter any place, county, congressional district, or state and get a demographic profile: population, income, education, race, age, housing, and more. Every number includes margins of error.

For election coverage, Census Reporter answers demographic questions instantly. What's the median income in this district? What percentage of residents have a college degree? How has the population changed since the last census? These numbers provide context for campaign promises and policy debates.

Census Reporter generates embeddable charts and downloadable data tables. It's built by journalists at the Knight Lab and designed for newsroom use.

Google Sheets for district analysis

Google Sheets handles the quick calculations election reporters need: vote margins, swing percentages, turnout changes, and demographic comparisons. Import precinct-level results, calculate shifts from the last election, and identify the precincts that swung the most.

Public records and FOIA

iFOIA

iFOIA is a free tool from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. It generates FOIA request letters customized to the correct agency and jurisdiction. It knows which law applies (federal FOIA, state public records laws) and includes the right legal citations.

During election cycles, FOIA requests uncover candidate communications, government spending decisions, and policy documents that campaigns don't voluntarily release. iFOIA tracks your requests and deadlines.

MuckRock

MuckRock files, tracks, and publishes public records requests. It has filed over 150,000 requests and maintains a public archive of released documents. Search the archive before filing your own request — someone may have already obtained what you need.

MuckRock's crowdsourced FOIA projects let newsrooms collaborate on large-scale records requests. During elections, these projects have uncovered voting machine contracts, election administration emails, and campaign-related government correspondence.

Visualize election data

Datawrapper

Datawrapper has built-in election maps for US states and congressional districts. Upload vote totals and it generates choropleth maps, results tables, and bar charts. The maps are responsive, accessible, and fast-loading — critical for election night when traffic spikes.

Datawrapper's election-specific features include:

  • Symbol maps — show vote margins by precinct with proportional circles
  • Choropleth maps — color districts or counties by vote share, margin, or swing
  • Range plots — compare polling averages with actual results
  • Live updating — connect to a Google Sheet and charts update as you add results

Putting it together: an election coverage workflow

Example: profiling a congressional candidate

  1. OpenSecrets — Pull the candidate's fundraising totals, top donors, and industry breakdown.
  2. BillTrack50 — Check their voting record and sponsored legislation (if incumbent).
  3. Census Reporter — Get the district's demographic profile for context.
  4. iFOIA / MuckRock — File records requests for relevant government communications.
  5. Google Sheets — Compare this cycle's numbers to previous elections.
  6. Datawrapper — Build a fundraising chart and district map for the published story.

Election cycles are when these tools matter most. Build familiarity with them before filing deadlines and election night. Every tool listed here is free to use and requires no technical background beyond basic spreadsheet skills.