Methodology: How Purple Voice Works
Every fact links to its source. Our data refresh cadence is published. Our limitations are disclosed.
Purple Voice is a civic data platform built on a simple promise: receipts, not rhetoric. If you’re a journalist, researcher, or citizen verifying a claim before you cite us, this page explains where our data comes from, how often it updates, what we don’t cover yet, and how every data point traces back to its primary source.
1,841
Federal Bills Tracked
2,317
News Items Catalogued
Our Data Sources
We pull from authoritative federal records. No predictive models, no editorial weighting, no synthetic data. Every record is auditable.
Federal Legislative Records
Primary source: Congress.gov (Library of Congress)
Bill text, status, sponsors, co-sponsors, committee assignments, and floor votes. Also: U.S. Senate and House clerk offices for real-time vote tallies and member statements.
Campaign Finance & Lobbying
Primary sources: Federal Election Commission, Senate Office of Public Records
Candidate filings, committee receipts, independent expenditures, and lobbying disclosure reports. We present aggregated totals and date ranges; individual donor names are not displayed.
Federal Court Filings
Primary source: U.S. federal court dockets (PACER, appellate opinions)
Published opinions, case docket summaries, and amicus briefs from circuit courts and the Supreme Court. State court rulings are not yet included.
Data Refresh Cadence
Different datasets update at different rates. Here’s what to expect:
| Data Type |
Refresh Frequency |
Typical Lag |
| Bills & legislative text |
Daily |
12–24 hours after official publication |
| Roll call votes |
Daily |
4–12 hours after clerk publication |
| Campaign finance filings |
Weekly |
2–7 days after FEC posting |
| Lobbying disclosure reports |
Quarterly |
Within 30 days of filing deadline |
| Federal court opinions |
Weekly |
3–10 days after docket publication |
Audit Trail & Source Links
Every bill summary, vote record, and finance total on Purple Voice includes a direct link to the originating federal source. Click through to verify the claim yourself.
We do not editorialize vote descriptions. We do not adjust timestamps. We do not infer intent. If a source record is amended or withdrawn, we reflect that change and note the update date.
Our promise: if you can’t trace it back to a .gov source, we shouldn’t have published it.
What We Don’t Cover (Yet)
We’re transparent about scope limits:
- State legislatures: We focus exclusively on federal Congress. State bills, votes, and budgets are not included.
- Individual donor names: While the FEC publishes itemized contributions, we currently display only aggregated totals by cycle and committee.
- State court rulings: Only federal appellate and Supreme Court opinions are tracked.
- Predictive scores: We do not assign ideology ratings, “Trump scores,” or partisan indexes. We show votes and sponsors as recorded.
- Real-time floor proceedings: Live debate transcripts appear with a 24–48 hour delay, matching official Congressional Record publication.
Frequently Asked
How do I verify a specific data point?
Every bill, vote, and finance record on Purple Voice includes a “Source” link in the detail view. Click it to see the original federal record. If a link is broken or missing, please report it via our contact form.
Do you adjust or normalize any data?
We normalize formats for display (e.g., standardizing date formats, converting all-caps names to title case), but we do not alter vote outcomes, dollar amounts, or legislative text. When a source agency corrects a record, we update ours and log the change.
What if I find an error?
Email us with the record URL and a link to the correct federal source. We review all reports within 48 hours and issue corrections publicly if warranted. Accuracy is our first obligation.
Can I download the raw data?
Bulk data exports are in development. For now, individual records can be cited and linked directly. Journalists and researchers needing batch access should contact us; we evaluate case-by-case.
How often do you update the data?
Bills and votes refresh daily. Campaign finance updates weekly. Lobbying disclosure is pulled quarterly, aligned with federal filing deadlines. See the refresh cadence table above for specifics.
Is Purple Voice partisan?
No. We publish votes and records as they are filed, without editorial scoring or partisan labeling. Our name reflects the mix of red and blue—data belongs to everyone.
Stay Updated on Our Data
When we add new datasets or change refresh schedules, we announce it. Subscribe to get methodology updates, new source integrations, and transparency reports.
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