The Planks

No Planks exist yet. That's by our own rules, not an oversight.

The first Review Window opens the day after the November 3, 2026 election and runs 90 days. No plank is adopted before then. A plank ratified in the Window takes effect at ratification or at the seating of the 120th Congress in January 2027, whichever is later. There's no emergency exception, and there's no early access. That rule applies to us as much as anyone.

Why the wait

A promise with a date is worth more than a shortcut

Planks can only be added or removed during a defined Review Window after each federal general election. Mid-cycle changes are never allowed, even when a news story makes an issue feel urgent. If a candidate issue surfaces in month 14 of a term, it waits in the nomination queue for the next Window. That's what separates a living set of standards from a reactive one.

Once the Window opens, selection follows a locked process: every candidate issue is tested against the same five criteria, and the strongest evidence goes in first, up to a hard cap of five Planks (three is the target). Any exception to that order has to be published, with reasons, before the Window closes. No silent skips, no silent picks.

What's already been tested

The work isn't waiting on the Window. The vote is.

Seven candidate issues have been tested against the criteria. Each one has its polling, its bill text, and a published status, including one rejection. None of them are Planks yet. They're candidates for the first Window.

See every candidate on On Deck →

Want the exact rules a candidate issue has to clear? Read the full criteria. Want to know how members will be graded once Planks exist? Read the Report Card.