RefCheck

RefCheck is a web app (mobile-friendly) that turns confusing referendum and ballot-initiative texts into neutral, plain-language briefs with citations. It ingests official ballot language, fiscal notes, and nonpartisan analyses, then produces: (1) a one-page summary, (2) what changes legally, (3) who is affected, (4) likely tradeoffs, and (5) a “what we don’t know” section. Users can compare side-by-side: official text vs. simplified explanation, plus a timeline of amendments and court challenges. The AI is constrained: every claim must link to a source snippet; anything unsourced is flagged as “unverified.” Monetization is B2B (local newsrooms, civic orgs, libraries) plus a low-cost consumer tier for alerts and saved jurisdictions. This is realistic: it won’t “fix democracy,” but it can reduce confusion and last-minute misinformation.