Our Sources and Methodology

Congress.govFederal Legislation

Congress's official website. Every federal bill on PILLARS, and each step it takes, comes from here.

Congressional Budget OfficeCost Estimates

Congress's budget office. When it estimates what a bill would cost, we show that number on the bill's page with a link to the estimate.

LegiScanLegislatures

Follows bills and votes in Congress and all 50 state legislatures. We use it to keep recorded votes up to date.

Federal Election CommissionCampaign Finance

The agency that collects campaign finance reports. The money federal candidates raise and spend comes from its filings.

Federal RegisterPresidential Actions

The government's official daily publication. Each presidential action's full text and signing date come from here, or from WhiteHouse.gov on the day it's signed.

CivicAPIElection Results

An election results service. Vote counts and race calls on election night come from it, and so do the final results.

Google Civic InformationPolling Places

Google's election data for your address. We use it to find your polling place.

Mostly from the government's own records. Bills come from Congress.gov and presidential actions from the Federal Register. Cost estimates come from the Congressional Budget Office, and campaign money from the Federal Election Commission. Each source above says what we use it for.

Bills and presidential actions update every hour. A recorded vote usually shows up within a few hours of the vote. Election data updates several times a day.

Each one is written from the bill's official text. The official text is always linked, so you can read it yourself.

Yes. We show the record as it is and don't take sides or endorse anyone. PILLARS is independent. No party or government agency is behind it.

Automated checks compare our data with the official sources every day and flag anything that doesn't match, like a vote count that's off. When the official record changes, PILLARS changes with it.