Bolts is a digital magazine that covers the nuts and bolts of power and political change, from the local up. We report on the local elections and obscure institutions that shape public policy but are dangerously overlooked in the U.S., and the grassroots movements that are targeting them.

We focus on two areas where local governments play a key role: criminal justice and voting rights.

When it comes to practices that balloon prisons or weaken democracy, decisions are often made by an opaque ecosystem of institutions and officials. Our journalism shines a spotlight on the levers of power that influence democracy and mass incarceration—think of your local judges, county clerks, or prosecutors—and the political battles around them. We will later add other issue hubs (stay tuned).

You can make a donation to support our work.

You can follow us on Twitter, Threads, Instagram, BlueSky, Post, Mastodon, and Facebook.

You can also follow find us Apple News, and sign up for our newsletter!

And explore our latest content. We are the proud recipients of a 2023 New Business of the Year award from Lion Publishers.

Our Team and our Boards

Bolts also works with Lawyers for Reporters, and Proskauer, for legal services. AKG Business Solutions handles our accounting. Our website is designed by Bistro Studios.

Contact Us

To reach out with comments, tips, or and requests for corrections, contact us here. Note that we do not publish letters to the editors.

Postings for positions at Bolts, if and when available, will be posted on our Jobs page. We hope to hear from you!

Pitch Us

If you have a story pitch that would fit Bolts, we would love to hear from you. Please read our guide on what type of pitches we are interested in, and how to contact us.

Our Structure

Bolts is operated by The Political Report, Inc., a 501c(3) nonprofit corporation.

Our conflict of interest policy, as adopted by the board of directors, is available here.

Bolts is a member of LION Publishers, a professional journalism association of independent publishers. Bolts is also a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Bolts is the new home of “What’s on the Ballot,” a platform that since 2018 has offered cheatsheets and databases to organize the chaos of U.S. democracy. “What’s on the Ballot” is now continuing to help readers follow elections small and big, local and national, by producing more cheatsheets and information. Bolts also incorporates past content published on “The Political Report,” a platform on the local politics of criminal justice that was hosted by The Appeal, between 2018 to 2021.

Our Finances

Bolts is operated with funding obtained through philanthropic grants and individual donations. 

Bolts endorses and subscribes to the ethical guidelines recommended by organizations that monitor nonprofit journalism such as the Institute for Nonprofit News. 

We have a policy of disclosing all donors who contribute at least $5,000 over a year, a level chosen in accordance with INN’s recommendation. As of December 2023, all such donors are as follows.

We also espouse a policy of editorial independence. We maintain a firewall, which is communicated expressly to such donors, between financial contributions and editorial decisions as to what Bolts covers and how. When accepting contributions, Bolts is not endorsing the views of the contributors. Bolts editors make independent decisions on the assignment of stories, their content, and their editing; Bolts allows no right to review or influence our articles.

Contributions are sought and obtained for the purpose of supporting the general operations of this publication. In the future, if a grant or contribution were made for a purpose other than general operational support (for instance, coverage of a given geographic area or a broad topic), Bolts would maintain independent control over editorial content. It would ensure that the delineation remains broad, consult members of our advisory board, and disclose the matter to the public.

Our Corrections Policy

Bolts Magazine is committed to ensuring the accuracy and trustworthiness of its reporting. We will correct errors that we become aware of after publication to the best of our ability, and disclose corrections underneath published articles. Readers can reach out to flag an error or the need for a correction.