The Ballot Book organizes California political data around two main categories: Statewide and Local. Understanding this structure helps you find what you need quickly.
Statewide vs. Local
Statewide covers state-level political geography and the campaign finance system that supports it:
- Legislative Districts: Assembly (80), State Senate (40), Congressional (52 districts across two maps), Board of Equalization (4)
- Campaign Finance: Data from Cal-Access, the Secretary of State's disclosure system—covers all state candidates and ballot measure committees
- Elections: State legislative races, statewide propositions, results by jurisdiction
Local covers county and sub-county geography with its own campaign finance ecosystem:
- Places: Counties (58), Cities (480+), School Districts (900+), plus their sub-districts (supervisor districts, city council districts, trustee areas)
- Campaign Finance: Data from Netfile, the electronic filing system used by many California counties and cities—covers local candidates and measures
- Elections: Local races (city council, school board, special districts), local ballot measures
The key insight: state and local campaign finance data come from different disclosure systems. A city council candidate files with their county clerk (often via Netfile), not the Secretary of State. The platform integrates both systems, covering approximately 185 local jurisdictions that file electronically through Netfile.
Finding Your Way Around
Global Actions
These tools appear at the top of the sidebar and work across the entire platform:
- Search: Press
/anywhere to open the power search. Searches jurisdictions, people, committees, and elections simultaneously. This is usually the fastest way to get anywhere. - Explore: Browse jurisdictions included in your subscription for quick access.
- Election Reports: Precinct-level analysis of past elections—see where candidates won and lost, identify demographic and ideological patterns.
- Guide: The documentation you're reading now.
Statewide Section
- Districts: Browse all state legislative districts by type. Includes current (2022) and future (2026) Congressional maps.
- Incumbents: Directory of current state officeholders with links to their profiles and committees.
- Campaign Finance: Activity Feed shows recent filings across all state races. 2026 Primary Overview tracks the upcoming election cycle. Committees lists all state-level committees. Top Recipients ranks who's receiving the most money.
- Elections: Index of state legislative races with candidate lists, fundraising totals, and results.
Local Section
- Places: Browse counties, cities, and school districts. Each jurisdiction page includes voter data, demographics, election history, overlapping districts, and other data.
- Campaign Finance: Local Activity Feed shows recent filings from Netfile jurisdictions. Directory provides jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction access to local committees.
- Elections & Candidates: Tracks declared candidates for local offices with fundraising data where available.
What Subscriptions Cover
The platform uses geographic subscriptions. Your access depends on which plan you have:
County Access covers one specific county plus every jurisdiction within it—all cities, school districts, and special districts in that county. If you're focused on local politics in a single county, this is what you need.
Legislative Access covers all 176 state legislative districts: 80 Assembly, 40 State Senate, 52 Congressional (both 2022 and 2026 maps), and 4 Board of Equalization districts. If you're working on state legislative campaigns or Sacramento advocacy, this covers the statewide political geography.
Statewide Access covers everything—all 58 counties, 480+ cities, 900+ school districts, and all legislative districts. This is for consultants, statewide campaigns, and anyone who needs to move between jurisdictions frequently.
A key clarification: County plans include the cities and school districts within that county, not just county government data. If you have Los Angeles County access, you also have access to the City of Los Angeles, LAUSD, and every other jurisdiction within LA County boundaries.
Where to Go From Here
If you're new to the platform:
- Start with How California's Political Geography Works to understand how jurisdictions overlap and relate to each other
- Then try Preparing for a Client Briefing to see the platform in action with a real-world scenario
If you have a specific focus:
- Campaign finance: See Understanding Campaign Finance Disclosure for how the filing system works
- Elections and results: See Reading Election Results for navigating results data
- Voter data and analysis: See Understanding Voter Composition for registration and turnout analysis