> 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/rate-limiting.md).

# Rate limiting

## Default limits

This API is rate-limited using the token bucket algorithm.

**Rate:** 5 requests per second

* The 5 requests per second applies to how many requests can be initiated each second; the requests do not need to finish before more can be started at the 5 request per second rate.

**Burst Capacity:** 100 requests

* The burst capacity enables your application to temporarily exceed the 5 RPS limit by using pre-accumulated tokens. This allows for short spikes in traffic to be handled smoothly without triggering throttling, as long as tokens remain available in the burst bucket.
* If you send fewer than 5 requests in a given second, burst tokens accumulate (up to 100), allowing for additional bursts in traffic.

**Total Daily Quota**: 200k requests

* The total number of requests allowed in a 24 hour period.

## **Throttling**

If the request rate is exceeded, a response with HTTP 429 Too Many Requests is sent.

To avoid throttling:

* Keep steady usage at or below 5 requests per second.
* Implement exponential backoff with retry logic to space out retries.

## **Higher Limits**

If your application requires a higher sustained rate, burst capacity, or daily quota, please contact us.


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