VAO

Help & Troubleshooting

Last updated: March 12, 2026

How District Detection Works

When you click “Use Location,” we detect your approximate location using your IP address, convert it to a street address, and then look up your Congressional District through the Google Civic Information API. Your address is never stored — it's used once for that single request.

For the most accurate results, we recommend entering your full street address manually rather than relying on automatic detection.

Common Issues

Wrong district detected

Cause: If you're on an IPv6 network, VPN, corporate network, or mobile data, IP-based geolocation can place you in the wrong city or even the wrong state. This is a limitation of IP geolocation — not all networks report accurate location data.

Fix: Click “Change” in the header and enter your full street address manually. This will always give you the correct district.

“Could not detect location”

Cause: Your ad blocker or firewall may be blocking the IP geolocation service we use.

Fix: Enter your address manually, or temporarily disable your ad blocker for this site.

Page won't translate

Cause: Some ad blockers block Google Translate scripts.

Fix: Whitelist translate.google.com in your ad blocker, or try using the site in an incognito/private window.

Translation shows wrong font or broken layout

Cause: A browser extension may be conflicting with Google Translate.

Fix: Try the site in an incognito/private window with extensions disabled.

Tips

  • For the most accurate results, always enter your full street address rather than using automatic detection.
  • “Use Location” works best on home WiFi. Mobile data, VPNs, and corporate networks often give inaccurate IP locations.
  • Your address is never stored, logged, or transmitted to our servers. It goes directly to Google's Civic API and is discarded.
  • You can switch districts at any time by clicking “Change” in the header.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this site partisan?

No. All data comes from public government sources — the Federal Election Commission, Congress.gov, and official congressional records. We do not endorse any candidate or party.

How is the data updated?

Candidate data is sourced from official FEC filings, Congress.gov records, and public databases. Finance records reflect cumulative totals across all election cycles.

Can I print my ballot?

Yes. Go to My Ballot, add candidates as you browse, then use the print button to create a pocket guide for Election Day.

What does “Compare” do?

Click the “Compare” button on any candidate card to add them to your comparison list. You can compare up to 8 candidates side by side — finance records, ratings, travel disclosures, and more.

What languages are supported?

The site can be translated into 10 languages using the globe icon in the header: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, Korean, Hebrew, and German. Your browser language is auto-detected on first visit.

I found incorrect data. How do I report it?

Please reach out on the contact page. We take data accuracy seriously and will investigate promptly.