ActiVote is rated Least biased with High factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED (0.0)
Factual Reporting: HIGH (0.5)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY

History

ActiVote is a U.S. civic-engagement and polling platform founded in 2019 by Sara Gifford, Paul-Erik Raué, and Victor Allis. According to its About page, the organization was created to help voters participate in local, state, and federal elections by providing nonpartisan information about candidates, elections, elected officials, legislation, and public policy.

ActiVote operates a free mobile and web app that allows users to view upcoming elections, research candidates, compare their political positions through a “Political Matrix,” follow legislation and elected officials, and participate in election and issue polling. Sara Gifford serves as CEO, Paul-Erik Raué as CTO, and Victor Allis as Chief Pollster. The organization describes its mission as increasing civic participation without telling users which candidates or policies to support.

ActiVote is also a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s Transparency Initiative and publishes detailed information about its sampling, weighting, poll accuracy, and limitations.

Read our profile on the United States media and government.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Funded by / Ownership

ActiVote is operated by ActiVote Inc., a privately held U.S. Public Benefit Corporation founded by Sara Gifford, Paul-Erik Raué, and Victor Allis. In 2021, the company announced that it had received B Corp certification, explaining that it chose the Public Benefit Corporation structure because it was not seeking donations and was not organized primarily for profit.

ActiVote states that the app carries no advertising and that it does not sell or share users’ personal data. Earlier polling disclosures stated that the founders personally funded development and operation of the platform, while individual polls do not require separate sponsors because responses are generated through the existing ActiVote user base. The company publicly identifies its founders, leadership, methodology, and contact information.

Analysis / Bias

ActiVote demonstrates little evidence of consistent partisan bias. Its platform shows users where they stand relative to candidates rather than recommending a political party or candidate, and it places candidates on its Political Matrix using legislative voting records, candidate questionnaires, and other documented policy positions. ActiVote states that it does not endorse candidates and applies the same matching system regardless of party.

For example, its October 2026 Generic Congressional Ballot reports a Democratic advantage while publishing the full demographic and partisan composition of the sample, including results for Democrats, Republicans, independents, ideological groups, gender, age, ethnicity, education, and geography. The page provides the sample size, weighting information, expected error, and historical readings rather than framing the result as support for either party.

Similarly, AllSides/ActiVote Survey on Executive Actions breaks responses into left, moderate-left, center, moderate-right, and right categories, allowing readers to compare ideological groups without presenting one as correct. The survey also publishes question wording, methodology, and crosstabs.

ActiVote is also unusually open about weaknesses in its own polling. In Probability vs. Non-Probability Polling in 2024, it compares traditional probability and non-probability polling methods, including its own category, and explicitly notes where differences were not statistically significant. Its methodology acknowledges that users self-select into the app and may be more politically engaged than the general electorate, while weighting samples by age, gender, party affiliation, ethnicity, income, education, and geography.

Factual standards are very strong. ActiVote relies on official election records, government legislative data, candidate responses, voter-registration information, and transparent polling methodology. While its opt-in sample differs from traditional random-sample polling and requires statistical weighting, the organization openly explains these limitations, publishes accuracy evaluations, retains unsuccessful polls in its record, and provides substantial methodological disclosure.

Failed Fact Checks

• None found from major fact-checking organizations.

Overall, we rate ActiVote Least Biased based on its nonpartisan voter-information platform, balanced candidate-matching system, and transparent presentation of polling across ideological groups. We rate it High for factual reporting because it discloses its methodology, relies on official data, maintains strong organizational transparency, participates in AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, and has a clean fact-check record. (D. Van Zandt 10/24/2026)

Source: https://www.activote.net/

Last Updated on October 24, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check

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