Update July 5, 2022: ProPublica has notified me that Election Databot/Electionbot is no more 😔 RIP!
Happy election season, reporters! Maybe “happy” isn’t the right word. I mostly remember election season as full of stress, tears and mediocre pizza.
Introducing Electionbot!
It may also be called Election Databot? ProPublica is a little ambiguous on the subject.
It’s a “firehose” of election-related information, and “firehose” is definitely the right word. ProPublica pulls together spending data, campaign releases, Google Trends and even more (Facebook ads!) into one big, dense hub for every election happening in the U.S.
It’s a good spot to go to for quick info on an election you’re covering – who has outspent whom, for instance – but it’s even better for just getting notified of what’s going on.
I’d recommend clicking that little golden bell to subscribe to updates, rather than trying to make sense of the dreaded firehose. Keep your heads above water, reporters, and good luck on election day!