Ask your officials for their Top 10: a guide for voters

A voter asks for an official’s Top 10 in three steps: find every official who represents you, send each one the same short message with the link to the Top 10 board, and write down the date you asked. The message below is ready to copy. Ask everyone the same way, whatever their party, and ask candidates who are not yet in office too.

How does a voter find every official who represents them?

A voter finds every official who represents them through USAGov’s “Find and contact elected officials” page, which links to the people who represent you on the federal, state and local levels.⁠¹ Work from the top down and write each name on one list.

• The president. USAGov explains how to contact the president.⁠¹
• Your two U.S. senators. The Senate lists every senator by state, with contact links.⁠²
• Your U.S. representative. House.gov matches your ZIP code to your congressional district and links to your member’s website and contact page.⁠³ House.gov notes that many district boundaries have been redrawn since the current Congress began, and that new lines take effect when the next Congress starts in January 2027.⁠³ Check which district you live in now and which one you will vote in.
• Your governor and state legislators. USAGov links to state and territorial governors and to state legislators.⁠¹
• Local officials. USAGov offers a mayor search, a county executive search by map or ZIP code, and contact pages for city, county and town officials.⁠¹ A county executive may be elected or appointed.⁠¹
• School board and other local boards. Your school district and county websites list board members and how to reach them.

The list is usually longer than people expect, and every name on it can be asked.

How does a voter find the candidates who are not in office yet?

A voter finds candidates who are not yet in office through the state or local election office, which USAGov names as the place to check for elections coming up in your area.⁠⁴ Use the contact details on each campaign’s website. A full Top 10 is also the fastest way for a newcomer to show voters exactly where they stand.

Ask every candidate in the race on the same day. Asking only the candidate you oppose turns a standard into a tactic, and the standard only works when it applies to everyone. See Same cards for everyone.

What should a voter send?

A voter should send a short message that names the office, makes one clear request and gives the link. A short message is easy to answer: who you are, what you want and how to do it, in under 150 words. Copy the message below and fill in the brackets.

Subject: Will you share your full Top 10?

Dear [title and name],

I live in [city or ZIP code], and you represent me as [office]. I made my Top 10 on My Vote Forward: ten subjects in my order, $1 billion split across them, a grade for how the government is doing now, and my opinions on each subject.

I am asking you to do the same, every subject and every answer, and to share your full record with your name and office on it. It starts here: https://myvoteforward.com/top10/#run

I want to know how you will represent me.

[Your name], [city or ZIP code]

Send it through the official’s contact form or office email, and for a candidate, through the campaign email. You may attach your own Top 10 cards if you choose to share them, and you pick which ones. Your answers stay in your browser until you do, and sharing your own cards is never required to ask for theirs. They have to share it all. We don’t. We aren’t running for public office.

What are other good ways to ask?

Other good ways to ask are in person, in public and in a group, and each one works best with the same one line request: “Will you share your full Top 10, every subject and every answer?”

• At a town hall or forum. One sentence, then let them answer. A room full of people hearing the question does more than a long speech.
• On social media. Post the request publicly and tag the official account. Keep it polite and short, and include the link.
• Through a group you belong to. A parent group, a neighborhood association or a union local can send the same request to every candidate for an office at once, which is the fairest way to ask.
• By phone. Call the office, give your name and city, and ask the staff member to pass the request along. Then send the written message so there is a date on it.

How should a voter keep track of who has answered?

A voter keeps track with a simple list: each official’s name, office, the date you asked, and the date they shared a full record. Keep the date even if nothing comes back. A dated request is what lets anyone say plainly, and fairly, “Has not shared a full Top 10 as of [date].” The guide to showing that fairly is Not answered yet.

Ask again when something changes: a new election season, a new term or a public debate on one of the ten subjects. A second message that says “I asked on [date] and am asking again” is clear and fair.

What counts as an answer?

An answer is the full Top 10 record, every subject and every answer, a PDF with the official’s name, office and date completed on the cover, posted on their own site or accounts. A platform page, a form letter or a promise to respond later is not an answer to this request. A full set from one official and silence from another is a meaningful difference, and voters can see it. The full standard is on Every subject, every answer.

Unresolved questions

Two questions about asking officials are still open.

1. Many offices, one ballot. What is the simplest way for a voter to build the full list of offices on their own ballot, from Congress to the water board, in one place?
2. Shared requests. How should groups that ask every candidate at once record and publish who was asked and when, so the record stays fair?

Make my Top 10

Make your own Top 10 first, then ask them for theirs.

Make my Top 10Link for officials