A category only counts toward a score IF there were qualifying votes that session. If no death penalty bills came up, that category shows "No votes this session" and does not penalize anyone. Weights redistribute proportionally to active categories automatically.
State Legislator Scoring
Legislators are scored on how they voted on qualifying bills across 10 published categories. Every qualifying bill is classified by IFF editors. The correct vote direction (YES or NO from an Idaho-first conservative lens) is published for every bill. No secret selections.
| Category | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration / Border Enforcement | 25% | Core — heaviest weight |
| Parental Rights / Child Protection / Anti-Woke | 20% | Elevated — top priority |
| 2nd Amendment | 15% | Core category |
| Property Rights / Land Use | 10% | Core category |
| Fiscal Responsibility / Spending | 10% | Supporting |
| Religious Liberty | 5% | Supporting |
| Vaccine Mandates / Medical Freedom | 5% | Supporting |
| Election Integrity / Voter ID | 5% | Supporting |
| Death Penalty / Criminal Justice | 3% | Supporting |
| Federal Overreach / State Sovereignty | 2% | Supporting |
| Total | 100% |
Vote scoring: Standard qualifying vote = 10 points possible. Key vote (editorially flagged with published one-sentence justification) = 20 points possible. Voted correctly = full points. Voted wrong = 0. Absent/not voting = half points. Committee votes count. A vote to kill a bad bill in committee earns full credit. R and D legislators are treated identically.
Scores can go negative. Active bad behavior — supporting sanctuary policies, voting against 2A rights, opposing immigration enforcement — can push scores below zero. Zero is not the floor.
Sheriff Scoring
Sheriffs don't vote on legislation. Their score is a checklist of documented actions, policies, and public positions across 5 categories: ICE/Immigration (25 pts), 2A Stance (25 pts), Civil Asset Forfeiture (20 pts), Federal Land (15 pts), and Red Flag (15 pts). Every item requires a verifiable public source. Scores can go negative.
County Commissioner Scoring
Three equal categories (33.3% each): Property Rights & Zoning, Fiscal Responsibility, and Core Values Resolutions. Minimum 3 verified votes before a score is published — below that, the profile shows "Insufficient Data." Scores can go negative.
City Council Scoring
Six equal-weight categories. No minimum vote threshold — profiles publish with whatever data exists, clearly labeled by confidence level: "No Data Yet — Submit a Tip" / "Limited Data — Score May Change" / "Partial Record" / "Scored."
Statewide Executive Scoring
Scored on bill signings/vetoes, executive orders, appointments, legal positions, and public statements. Only applicable items count per office. Scores can go negative.
Evidence Standards
Full credit requires at least one of: official meeting minutes, official agenda with recorded vote, local newspaper report citing the vote, public records request result, or signed agreement/official resolution. Partial credit requires at least one credible secondary source. No anonymous allegations ever affect a score. Every score must be traceable to a public source.
The Career Timeline
Every legislator profile shows a year-by-year grade table going back 6 years. Click any year to expand every qualifying vote — bill name, correct vote direction, how they voted, and points earned or lost. The career score is a weighted average across all years with recent years weighted slightly heavier. This exposes drift: an official who scored an A in 2020 and a D today tells a story no single-year snapshot can.