The ballot campaign was the loud part. Quarterly lobbying disclosures show the same organizations working the same policy fight in Sacramento, every quarter, in filings almost nobody reads.
Read →By the time the public conversation starts, the financial battle is already weeks or months old. California's rent control fights show what changes when the money becomes visible before the campaign launches.
Read →There's a category of campaign spending most voters never see. It's often bigger than what the candidate raised. Here's how it works.
Read →Politicians say a lot of things. Donors write checks with intent. Here's why campaign finance data is the most reliable signal in politics, and how to actually read it.
Read →We lined up 8 of the leading candidates, 5 Democrats and 3 Republicans, and followed the money. Here's what the donor networks reveal about each candidate's real priorities.
Read →Most campaign finance tools help you understand your data. This one helps you stay out of trouble with it. Form 460, Form 497, threshold validation, and .CAL export, all in one place.
Read →Nevada's AURORA system is the authoritative source of truth for every dollar in state politics. For years, the campaigns with the resources to navigate it had a real edge. BallotBase changes that.
Read →It tracks every dollar raised and spent in California politics. Campaigns are legally required to file into it. In theory, it's the source of truth. In practice, almost nobody can actually use it.
Read →