> 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-endorsements.md).

# Data dictionary: Endorsements

There are two types of endorsements files — one for ballot measures and one for candidates.

## Candidate endorsements

| column name                 | description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| year                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| candidate\_id               | The candidate that is receiving the endorsement (endorsee). This is a unique identifier that links to the candidates file.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| endorsement\_id             | Unique identifier for this endorsement                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| endorsement\_stage          | <p>If the endorsement is relevant to a specific stage of the election, as opposed to the entire campaign, this can be defined here with one of the following values:<br>-Convention<br>-Primary<br>-Primary Runoff<br>-General<br>-General Runoff</p><p></p><p>Primarily, this is used to distinguish "General" from "Primary" endorsements.</p>                                                                                                                                                            |
| endorser\_type              | <p>May be one of the following categories, or NULL:<br>-Candidate<br>-Former Official<br>-Government-Federal Administration<br>-Government-Governors<br>-Government-Judicial<br>-Government-Local<br>-Government-Mayors<br>-Government-Other<br>-Government-President<br>-Government-State Representatives<br>-Government-State Senators<br>-Government-U.S. House<br>-Government-U.S. Senate<br>-Individual-Community Leader<br>-Individual-Other<br>-Media-Newspaper<br>-Media-Other<br>-Organization</p> |
| endorser\_name              | The person or organization that is making the endorsement                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| endorser\_organizations\_id | Unique identifier if the endorsement is made by an organization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| endorser\_person\_id        | Unique identifier if the endorsement is made by a person (individual)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| source                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| office\_level               | <p>One of the following, based on the office sought by endorsee:<br>-Federal<br>-State<br>-Local<br>-ultralocal\*</p><p></p><p>\*This is a Ballotpedia-specific designation for local elected offices outside of the top 100 cities in the U.S. by population</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| office\_branch              | <p>One of the following (or NULL), based on the office sought by endorsee:<br>-Executive<br>-Legislative<br>-Judicial</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| state                       | State postal abbreviation (i.e. "AL")                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |

## Ballot measure endorsements

| column name                 | description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ballot\_measure\_id         | Unique identifier that links to the ballot measure file                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| support\_oppose             | Either "Support" or "Oppose", where the latter means the endorser is campaigning against the measure.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| endorsement\_id             | Unique identifier for this endorsement                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| endorser\_type              | <p>May be one of the following categories, or NULL:<br>-Candidate<br>-Former Official<br>-Government-Federal Administration<br>-Government-Governors<br>-Government-Judicial<br>-Government-Local<br>-Government-Mayors<br>-Government-Other<br>-Government-President<br>-Government-State Representatives<br>-Government-State Senators<br>-Government-U.S. House<br>-Government-U.S. Senate<br>-Individual-Community Leader<br>-Individual-Other<br>-Media-Newspaper<br>-Media-Other<br>-Organization</p> |
| endorser\_name              | The person or organization that is making the endorsement                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| endorser\_organizations\_id | Unique identifier if the endorsement is made by an organization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| endorser\_person\_id        | Unique identifier if the endorsement is made by a person (individual)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| source                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| election\_year              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| state                       | State postal abbreviation (i.e. "AL")                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |


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