Changing answers: every change dated and public

Officials and candidates may change any answer on their Top 10, and the standard is that every change is dated and public. Share the new full record, say in one sentence what changed and why, and leave the earlier record where it was posted. Voters then see both records, both dates and the reason. A dated change with a reason shows judgment. A silent change is the only kind that costs trust.

Is a candidate allowed to change their Top 10?

Yes. A candidate or official may change any answer at any time, and new evidence, a changed situation or a better argument are good reasons to do it. The My Vote Forward framework treats changing a position as normal: a revised answer replaces the earlier one going forward and is something to explain, not something to punish. The reasoning is set out in What if someone changes position?.

On the Top 10 board, answers stay in the browser where they were made, so a candidate changes an answer on their own device and shares the new full record. In “I’m running for office” mode, the board produces the new record only when every subject and every answer is still complete, and its cover carries the new date completed.

What is the standard for a public change?

The standard for a public change has four parts, and each one takes a minute.

1. Share the new full record. Never a single changed answer on its own. The full record shows the change in context: a new MyBudget line means money moved from somewhere.
2. Show the date. The cover carries the date completed. Say it in your post too: “My full Top 10 record, updated [date].”
3. Say what changed and why, in one sentence. “I moved housing from third to first in MyPriorities after a year of hearings on rents in our district.” Put it in your post and in “In my words” for that subject.
4. Leave the earlier record up. Do not delete the earlier PDF or replace the file at the same address. Add the new record above it, with both dates visible.

A candidate who follows these four steps has made a change voters can follow. A candidate who quietly replaces a file has not, even when the new answer is better.

Why should the earlier record stay public?

The earlier record should stay public because voters and reporters made decisions based on it, and a public servant’s record belongs to the public. Officials already work with dated public records. The House Clerk publishes roll call votes searchable by Congress, session, bill and date,⁠¹ and nobody expects a member to erase a vote after changing their mind. A Top 10 is a statement of intent, not a vote, but the same courtesy applies: what was said stays said, and the change is added to the record.

Keeping the earlier record up also protects the candidate. When an opponent claims a candidate “flip flopped,” the dated records and the one sentence reason are already public. The answer to the attack is on the record, in the candidate’s own words, from the day it happened.

How should voters read a changed answer?

Voters should read a changed answer by asking what moved, when and why, in that order. Set the two full records side by side and find the answers that differ.

• What moved. One opinion answer moving toward the middle is a small change. A subject moving from tenth to first is a large one.
• When. A change made right after a major event or new evidence reads differently from one made the week before a primary.
• Why. Read the candidate’s sentence. A reason tied to something real, such as testimony, data or a constituent meeting, is the kind of reason voters can weigh.

Changing in response to the people you represent is part of representing them. The Representation chapter covers the long debate between representatives who follow their constituents and those who use their own judgment.

How should journalists report a change?

Journalists should report a change with both dates, both answers and the candidate’s stated reason, side by side. “On [date], the candidate gave transit $80 million; on [date], $140 million, citing the state’s new transit plan.” Show both full records, not just the changed answer, so readers see where the money came from.

Treat every candidate’s changes the same way, whatever the party. A change reported for one candidate and not another turns a record into a selection. See For journalists and debate moderators.

How often should a candidate update their Top 10?

A candidate should update their Top 10 whenever an answer has really changed, and should look at the full record at least once each election season. A record that is two years old on a ballot this fall tells voters less than it could. When nothing has changed, say so: “Reviewed [date], no changes” is a useful line on a campaign site.

Updating to chase a poll is easy to spot when every change is dated. The standard makes steady positions visible too, and a candidate whose record holds for years has told voters something real.

Unresolved questions

Two questions about changing answers are still open.

1. Changed questions. When the wording of an opinion question changes, how should a candidate’s earlier answer to the old wording be labeled? The opinions chapter treats it as an answer to an earlier version.
2. A single place for dates. What is the simplest way for a candidate to show every dated record in one place on a campaign site, readable on a phone?

Make my Top 10

Fill it all out, or don’t run. We deserve to know. Make your Top 10 now, and date every change.

Make my Top 10I’m running for office