> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.ballotpedia.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developer.ballotpedia.org/dictionaries-and-terms/data-dictionary-candidate-survey-responses.md).

# Data dictionary: Candidate survey responses

The candidate survey responses come from Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection questionnaire: <https://ballotpedia.org/Survey>.

There are a few required questions and some optional questions. The required questions are:

* *Who are you? Tell us about yourself.*
* *Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about you and your candidacy?*
* *What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?*

The survey questions are reviewed annually and may be adjusted.

| column name     | description                                                                                                                                                                   |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| candidate\_id   | Ballotpedia's Candidate ID, as described in the Candidates data set                                                                                                           |
| election\_year  | Numeric race year, i.e. "2026"                                                                                                                                                |
| state           | The state in which the candidate is running (postal abbreviation), i.e. "AL"                                                                                                  |
| candidate\_name | Name of the candidate                                                                                                                                                         |
| office\_name    | Name of the office sought                                                                                                                                                     |
| question        | Survey question text                                                                                                                                                          |
| response        | Candidate's response to the question                                                                                                                                          |
| response\_date  | Date response was received (YYYY-MM-DD). *Note that due to our review process, there is some delay between this date and the date on which the response appears in the file.* |


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