Frequently asked questions

JFK Debate is a non-partisan civic platform where residents debate local decisions in a structured format, track public hearings, create petitions and look up the officials who represent them. JFK stands for Justice, Freedom, Knowledge.

No. JFK Debate is an independent civic-technology project. It is not affiliated with any government body, political party, candidate, or with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Every debate has a proposition, a context section, arguments for and against — each with sources — a community vote, and, when the deciding body acts, a recorded outcome. Arguments whose factual premise is backed by a primary source are marked Verified.

Any registered user. New accounts are pre-moderated: an editor reviews the first submissions before they go live. Established users with a good record post immediately and are moderated after the fact.

Evidence is a required field. Moderators check that each cited source supports the claim made, mark arguments Verified when the source is authoritative and primary, and act on Request Fact Check reports from readers. See our fact-checking policy for the full process.

Only if your state or city gives them legal effect. Most local petitions are advocacy tools: they demonstrate support and create a public record. Ballot initiatives and charter amendments have statutory signature requirements that must be met through your election office, and we link to those rules.

Signatures are confirmed by email and tied to a jurisdiction. Verification requirements for petitions that will be filed with a government body follow that body's own rules, which are stricter than ours.

Never. We do not endorse candidates, parties or ballot measures, we do not accept political advertising, and moderators apply the same standards to arguments from every political direction.

Directory entries are compiled from official city, county and school district sources and reviewed by editors. Governments change addresses, meeting times and agenda systems, so always confirm details on the official site before you attend — and tell us when something is out of date.

Reading, debating, voting and signing are free for residents and always will be. Organizations can pay for analytics, priority moderation and verified organization profiles.

Organization subscriptions, sponsored non-partisan debates that are clearly labeled, philanthropic grants, and limited non-political advertising. Funding sources are listed on our About page.

Use the Request Fact Check button on any argument, the report link on any post, or email us. Reports are reviewed by a moderator, and corrections are logged publicly on the item that was changed.