The rules
VoteWire exists so people can argue about legislation and then check the record. That only works if the argument is worth having, and if nobody has to wonder whether the conversation is being quietly edited. So the rules are short, they're about conduct rather than opinion, and every decision we make is published.
What gets removed
No personal attacks
Argue with the position, not the person. Calling an argument stupid is fine; calling the person stupid is not. This is the rule that gets used most, and it is about the form of what you said rather than which side you're on.
No harassment
Following someone across threads, repeatedly targeting them after being asked to stop, or organising others to pile on.
No threats or incitement
Threatening anyone with harm, or encouraging violence against anyone — including elected officials. This one ends in a ban, not a warning.
No private information
Home addresses, phone numbers, workplaces or any other private detail about a private individual. Publicly listed contact details for a member of Congress in their official capacity are fine.
No impersonation
Claiming to be a member of Congress, a staffer, or another VoteWire user. Saying you work in a field is fine; claiming to be a specific named person you aren't is not.
No spam
Advertising, link farms, repeatedly posting the same text, or automated posting.
Nothing illegal
Content that is unlawful in the United States, or that we are required to remove.
What does not
This half of the page matters as much as the other. On a site about contested legislation, the absence of a rule is load-bearing — you should know in advance that a position won't be moderated away.
- Opinions you disagree with, however strongly.
- Claims you believe are factually wrong. We don't adjudicate contested political claims — reply and make the case.
- Criticism of any politician, party or of VoteWire itself.
- Being blunt, sarcastic, or unpersuasive.
- Taking an unpopular position on a bill. The vote counts are the point.
We deliberately do not remove things for being wrong. Deciding which claims about a bill are true is not a job a forum can do neutrally, and attempting it would make every removal a political act. Downvote a bad argument, or reply and beat it.
How it works in practice
- 1Anyone signed in can report a comment, choosing which rule they think it breaks.
- 2A moderator reads it in context and either removes it citing a specific rule, or leaves it up.
- 3Removed comments don't vanish. A marker stays in the thread saying what rule was broken, so the shape of the conversation is preserved.
- 4The decision is published, with the rule and the date, on the moderation log.
Think we got one wrong? Tell us — and point at the entry in the log, since it's all there.