Science on the Ballot Initiative
Take Action as a Volunteer!
Engage with candidates and learn where they stand on critical science and technology issues.
Science on the Ballot (SOTB), formerly Science Debate, asks candidates, elected officials, the public, and the media to focus more on science policy issues of vital importance to modern life. As part of a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Science on the Ballot is completely nonpartisan. SOTB aims to:
Train volunteers in non-partisan coalition building, and candidate outreach.
Engage local, state, and federal political candidates on science policy topics through a coalition developed questionnaire.
Elevate science policy topics in local communities through candidate outreach, and partnerships with science and policy organizations.
Want to learn more? Contact us at info@scipolnetwork.org.
2026 SOTB Engagement Opportunities
Co-Create a Candidate Questionnaire
Volunteers lead this effort by designing a candidate questionnaire and directly contacting candidates in their states to collect responses.
We share these responses across our website, social media channels, and newsletter to educate our community ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and help voters understand where candidates stand.
Volunteers also identify and pursue additional distribution channels to expand our reach and strengthen public impact.
Volunteer and take action ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Volunteers can participate in one, two, or all three engagement activities to make a meaningful impact.
Questionnaire General Timeline
February - May: Generate questions in collaboration with your state coalition, identify candidates, finalize questionnaire.
June - Sept: Lead candidate outreach efforts, send questionnaire. Stay persistent!
October: Conclude outreach efforts.
November 3: General Election
Please note that this is a general timeline. Volunteers will participate in working meetings and receive regular updates, resources and guidance from NSPN regarding deadlines.
Short Interview with a Candidate
Volunteers can conduct a short, 5–10 minute interview with a candidate using Zoom, meeting in person, or choosing another format that works for both the volunteer and the candidate.
This activity gives volunteers a hands-on opportunity to build their professional networks and increase their visibility in the science policy space.
Our team shares completed interviews on our YouTube channel and across our social media platforms to amplify their reach and impact.
Short Interview General Timeline
Volunteers will connect with candidates for short interviews on their own schedule.
NSPN will provide guidance on developing interview questions.
These interviews can be completed anytime before September 2026.
Candidate Conversations with NSPN!
Volunteers can invite candidates to participate in an NSPN-hosted webinar and help shape a thoughtful, nonpartisan conversation. As a nonprofit organization, we maintain a nonpartisan approach, so volunteers guide discussions around broad topics, such as how candidates incorporate science into policymaking.
Volunteers who invite candidates also serve as webinar moderators, gaining valuable leadership experience while building strong, professional relationships in the science policy space.
Candidate Conversations General Timeline
Volunteers should coordinate with NSPN on a webinar date. Ideally, these webinars can be hosted monthly.
Each session will follow a panel format and include candidates from all political parties. As a nonprofit, NSPN must remain nonpartisan.
THE ORIGINS OF SCIENCE ON THE BALLOT
Science on the Ballot began as Science Debate, co-founded in 2007 by Matthew Chapman, Shawn Lawrence Otto, Chris Mooney, Lawrence Krauss, Austin Dacey, and Sheril Kirshenbaum. Michael Halpern and Darlene Cavalier joined the organization shortly after. The primary reason for starting Science Debate was in response to the near absence of science and technology topics in the presidential debates and in the campaigns. Within weeks of its founding, people and organizations from across the political spectrum signed the following petition:
"Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth, we call for public debates in which the U.S. presidential and congressional candidates share their views on science and technology, health and medicine, and the environment."
Supporters included prominent institutions such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the U.S. National Academies, as well as political strategists ranging from John Podesta, President Bill Clinton’s former chief of staff, on the left to Newt Gingrich, former House Speaker, on the right.
MAKING SCIENCE POLICY ANSWERS ROUTINE
In 2008, then nominees Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain agreed to participate in an online “debate.” The candidates’ answers to “The Fourteen Top Science Questions Facing America” were shared widely online and published in the journal Nature. In 2012, a similar endeavor was undertaken with President Obama and then Republican nominee Governor Mitt Romney. Scientific American published the responses and rated them based on current scientific understanding at that time. In both years, the candidates' answers made nearly 850 million media impressions.
In 2016, all four major candidates, President Donald Trump; Senator Hillary Clinton; Governor Gary Johnson; and Jill Stein, responded in writing to “Twenty key science questions facing America.”
Aided at first by Science Debate co–founder Sheril Kirshenbaum, NSPN activated its science advocacy chapters across the country, supporting state coalitions to develop science questions to ask their local candidates at all levels. In 2022, NSPN engaged 54 volunteer coalition members and got responses from 71 candidates.
As a result of this collaboration and organizational drive that NSPN provided, Science Debate decided to merge with NSPN to become a program that is about more than the debate - keeping Science on the Ballot, hearing from candidates, and engaging with the public on the most pressing issues facing our society and shaping our collective future.
BEYOND THE DEBATE
So we prepared our questions for 2020 and pressed on. Incredibly, in the middle of the pandemic, when medical scientists were having to contend with politicians pushing hydroxychloroquine and bleach injections, Joe Biden refused to answer our questions. Needless to say, Trump followed suit. Was science now too controversial for presidential candidates to risk talking about it?
It was depressing. But there was one bright spot. During this election and in the midterms on either side of it, we formed an informal partnership with the National Science Policy Network. This grassroots organization was cultivating the energy of early career scientists across the country, providing resources, opportunities, and community support to engage them in policy making. The passion and capacity of their volunteers was infectious and inspiring.