• When I type in my zip code, why does it ask for my address?
• How do I search for a former member of Congress?
• I entered my zip code and the results turned up empty. Where are my members of Congress?
• Why does my member of Congress not have an annual score for the current year?
• Why are some scores different than they are in the PDF of the Scorecard?
• Why is Washington D.C. not on any of the maps?
• Can I download old scorecards?
• Is there a way to see every annual score for a single member of Congress?
• What does “(2X Score)” mean?
• Can I compare members in a single state delegation?
• How do I use the charts?
• Some House members have “AL” where their district number should be. What does that mean?
• Why does the number of House districts in a state change from year-to-year?
• Why are some votes missing a roll call number?
• Who do I contact if I find an error in the online scorecard or have a suggestion to improve it?

When I type in my zip code, why does it ask for my address?

Many U.S. zip codes include two or more Congressional districts. To find your Representative, just enter your full address. We do not keep track of your information.

How do I search for a former member of Congress?

Type in all or part of their name and click search. When the results appear, click the checkbox above the search results that says, “Show Search Results that include former members of Congress.”

I entered my zip code and the results turned up empty. Where are my members of Congress?

Some territories and districts in the United States are not represented by voting members of Congress. If you are from the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or other territories, your delegate does not vote, and we have no basis upon which to score them. These non-voting delegates are excluded from the online Scorecard.

Why does my member of Congress not have an annual score for the current year?

We keep track of votes affecting the environment throughout the year here, but LCV does not score those votes or calculate annual scores until the end of each year’s legislative session.

Why are some scores different than they are in the PDF of the Scorecard?

There are many possible reasons. Click here to read about discrepancies between the printed and online Scorecards in our Methodology section.

Why is Washington D.C. not on any of the maps?

Delegates from Washington D.C. do not vote in Congress. Until they do, we have no basis for giving them a score. That is why the District of Columbia is not shown on any of our maps.

Can I download old scorecards?

Yes! Click here to download them from our archives page. All scorecards are available as PDF files. If you're having trouble viewing, click here to download the latest version of Adobe Reader.

Is there a way to see every annual score for a single member of Congress?

Yes! Locate the member you are interested in either by searching or by selecting their name from a list. Clicking on their name will take you to their page. Then click on the green tab labeled “Annual Scores” to see how they performed each year. If a member left Congress and returned several years later, only the years they served will appear in the list.

What does “(2X Score)” mean?

It means we scored a single vote twice, because the vote had such profound consequences for the environment. When a vote is scored twice, that vote will appear in the list along with an exact copy with “(2X Score)” in the vote name.

Can I compare members in a single state delegation?

Yes! The easiest way to do this is to return to the homepages, use the horizontal sliding scale to select a year, and click on the state that interests you.

How do I use the charts?

Charts allow you to look at how Congress has performed on environmental issues overall. You can look at one or both chambers, individual state delegations in each chamber, and issue categories. Click on the buttons above the charts to make the different features appear or disappear.

Some House members have “AL” where their district number should be. What does that mean?

AL stands for “at large.” While every state has two Senators, some low-population states only have one member of Congress who represents the entire state. “At large” signifies that only one member represents an entire state in the U.S. House.

Why does the number of House districts in a state change from year-to-year?

Actually if they change at all, they only change once a decade. Every ten years, Congress goes through a constitutionally required process of re-apportionment and redistricting. States with populations that grew significantly over the previous decade usually gain seats, while states with populations that shrank usually lose seats. 

Why are some votes missing a roll call number?

These “votes” are actually co-sponsorships, sign-on letters, or discharge petitions. But even when no votes are cast, the impact on the environment may still be significant. Read the description to learn why.

Who do I contact if I find an error in the online scorecard or have a suggestion to improve it?

LCV spent months proofreading and verifying the data by comparing it to our own internal records as well as independent sources like GovTrack, Thomas, and the Library of Congress. However, since this is a new site, we may have a few errors to still work out. If you encounter any issues or just want to give us some feedback on the site, email us at feedback(at)lcv(dot)org and we will look into the matter.