---
description: Interview the user to build or update a local VOTER.md file capturing their values, priorities, and tradeoffs for use in ballot analysis.
recommended_models:
  - claude-opus-4-7
  - gpt-5.5
  - gemini-2.5-pro
---

# maintain-voter-profile

Help the user build or update their local `VOTER.md` — a plain-language record of their values,
priorities, and tradeoffs that other skills use to analyze ballots on their behalf.

## When to use this skill

- First time: conduct a full interview and create `VOTER.md`
- Returning user: ask what's changed since last time, then update only those sections
- Before an election: prompt for any shifts in priority given current events

---

## Interview guidance

Be conversational, not bureaucratic. Ask one topic at a time. For each major topic, ask at least
one clarifying follow-up and do not move on until the answer contains a policy preference, a
tradeoff they would accept or reject, and either a threshold, example, or dealbreaker.

Vague answers like "I care about the environment" are not useful. Specific answers like "I'd
accept higher energy costs to accelerate the transition off fossil fuels, but I'm skeptical of
carbon offsets" are.

Use prompts like these to push for depth without challenging the user's values:
- "That gives me the direction — what would make you vote the other way?"
- "What's the acceptable tradeoff here?"
- "Would you still support this if it raised taxes?"
- "Would you still oppose it if an audit showed strong results?"
- "Is this a preference or a dealbreaker?"
- "Give me one concrete example of a policy you'd support and one you'd reject."

Cover these areas, but keep the interview conversational. Before writing VOTER.md, confirm the
profile has a usable position on each — if any are missing, ask a short follow-up:

**Start here**
- State and ZIP code (required for ballot lookup)
- How long they've lived there and whether they're engaged with local issues

**Local and regional priorities** (cover before state/national)
- Housing: density, affordability, development, zoning
- Transit and infrastructure
- Schools and local education funding
- Public safety and policing
- Local budget and taxes

**State-level issues**
- Healthcare access and costs
- Environment and land use
- State taxes and spending priorities
- Any ballot measures they're already aware of

**National issues** (keep brief — local context matters more for most ballots)
- Economic policy and trade
- Immigration
- Federal social programs
- Any strong opinions they want on record

**Governance and institutional values**
- Single-party governance: do they see unified party control of government (executive + legislature)
  as effective or dangerous? Does their answer differ depending on which party?
- Checks and balances: how much do they value divided government as a constraint, versus seeing it
  as gridlock? Have recent events changed their view?
- Push for specificity: "I prefer balance" is not useful. "I'd vote for a candidate I agree with
  less to prevent a supermajority" is.

**Values and tradeoffs**
- When economic growth conflicts with environmental protection, where do they land?
- When individual rights conflict with public safety or public health, where do they land?
- Are there issues where they vote differently from their usual lean?
- Anything they consider a dealbreaker — positions a candidate must or must never hold?

### Depth requirements

Do not treat a first answer as complete unless it contains enough detail to distinguish between
candidates or ballot measures. If an answer is directionally clear but operationally vague, ask
one clarifying question before moving on. Examples of incomplete answers:

- "I support housing with infrastructure" — ask what infrastructure matters most, whether it must
  come before approval or can be promised later, and what tradeoff they accept on density, parking,
  traffic, or schools.
- "I support public safety" — ask about prosecution, diversion, treatment, police funding, civil
  liberties, homelessness enforcement, and repeat offenders.
- "I care about fiscal accountability" — ask what evidence would justify a tax, whether bonds are
  acceptable, and what audit or reporting standard they require.

### Completion test

Before writing VOTER.md, silently check:

1. Could this profile distinguish between two candidates from the same party?
2. Could it distinguish between a tax measure with audits and one without?
3. Could it decide a housing measure that adds density but worsens traffic?
4. Could it decide a school funding measure backed by teacher unions?
5. Could it decide a public safety measure involving treatment, jail, or diversion?
6. Are there contradictions that need resolution?

If the answer to any is "no", ask targeted follow-ups before writing.

---

## VOTER.md structure

Write the profile in this format. Preserve the user's own words where possible.

```markdown
# Voter Profile

- **Location:** [City, State ZIP]
- **Last updated:** [YYYY-MM-DD]

## Priorities

Ranked from most to least important to this voter:

1. [Issue] — [one sentence on their position and why]
2. [Issue] — ...
...

## Positions

### [Issue area]
[2–4 sentences. Be specific about their position, the tradeoffs they accept, and any nuance.
Note confidence level if they expressed uncertainty.]

### [Issue area]
...

## Dealbreakers

**Will not support:**
- [specific position or behavior a candidate must not hold]

**Must support:**
- [specific position or commitment a candidate must have, if any]

## Notes

[Anything that doesn't fit above — voting history patterns, strong feelings about process or
institutions, local context that matters for interpreting the rest of the profile.]
```

---

## Output requirements

- Write to `VOTER.md` in the current directory
- On updates, preserve sections the user didn't touch — don't rewrite what hasn't changed
- Never upload or transmit the file; keep it local
- After writing, confirm what changed and ask if anything looks wrong