For tools

1. Step 1

   Read llms.txt

   Short machine guide to shelves, preferred files, and citation expectations.

2. Step 2

   Fetch the manifest

   downloads/manifest.json lists every cached file with href, size, date, and publisher origins.

3. Step 3

   Prefer product JSON

   Use cleaned product files the site renders. Fall back to origin URLs when you need the upstream release.

• llms.txt

  Agent-oriented site guide with product JSON highlights.

• Downloads manifest

  Catalog of product JSON, source packs, PDFs, and portraits.

• Data cache UI

  Human search over the same catalog, with origin links.

• Sitemap

  Discoverable HTML routes for crawlers and indexes.

• Robots

  Crawl policy for the public site.

• Race live API

  Unofficial civicAPI tallies. Query office, cycle, stage, party, mode.

/api/race/live powers the live map. Useful query params include office (P/S/H), cycle, stage (primary/general), party, mode (map/full), and optional seat or state. Cache responses briefly, send a clear User-Agent, and label outputs as unofficial.

Historical election finance and popular-vote shelves live in product JSON under the Race section of the data cache, not in the live route.

• Do not invent missing series, districts, or vote totals. If the JSON omits a year, say so.
• Cite The Ledger and the origin publisher listed in the manifest.
• Prefer https://readtheledger.org/downloads/manifest.json over crawling every HTML page for data.
• Permanent redirects exist for old hubs: /fiscal → /books, /issues → /floor.

• Refresh status

  When automated archive jobs last wrote files.

• Data integrity

  Whether this build’s checks still pass.

• Methodology

  Semantic rules behind the JSON fields.

• Usage guidelines

  Attribution and polite automated access.