gov.house deals in numbers, dates and legal text, and readers act on them. When we get something wrong, we fix it quickly, say so plainly and leave a record. This page explains how.
§1How to request a correction
Use the contact form and choose the subject “Correction request.” Requests are most useful when they include:
- the link to the article;
- the exact sentence, figure or chart you believe is wrong;
- what you believe is correct; and
- a source, ideally a primary document such as an agency release, the bill text, a court filing or the Federal Register.
You do not need to be named in the article or be an expert to ask. Every request is read by the editor.
§2How fast we respond
Our goal is to respond to every correction request within 2 business days. Simple errors, such as a wrong date or a mistyped figure, are usually fixed the same day they are confirmed. Where checking takes longer, for example because we need to consult an agency or a court record, we will tell you that we are looking into it.
If we conclude that the article is accurate, we will explain why. You are welcome to reply with further evidence.
§3Corrections
A correction is published when we got a fact wrong: a number, a date, a name, a quotation, the status of a bill, rule or case, or a description of what a document says. When we correct an article:
- we fix the error in the text;
- we add a correction box at the end of the article, with the date and time of the correction in Eastern Time, stating what was wrong and what is right; and
- we change the article’s “Updated” timestamp.
A typical note reads: “Correction, Oct. 15, 2026, 4:10 pm ET: An earlier version of this article misstated the comment deadline. It is Nov. 3, not Nov. 13.” We state the error clearly enough that a reader of the original version knows what changed.
If an error was central to the article, such as the headline, the main finding or a key number, we say so in the note and, if needed, revise the headline or summary as well. If an error appeared in The Brief newsletter, we correct it in the next issue.
§4Clarifications
A clarification is published when the facts were right but the wording could mislead, important context was missing, or a statement was ambiguous. Clarifications are labeled “Clarification” and appear in the same box at the end of the article, with a date and time.
§5Updates
Much of what we cover is ongoing: a vote happens, a rule is finalized, a court rules, an agency revises its data. Adding new information to an accurate article is an update, not a correction. Updates change the “Updated” timestamp and, when they change the substance of a file, carry a short note describing what was added. Data revisions by the agencies themselves, such as revised payroll figures, are noted as updates, not as our errors.
§6No silent edits of substance
We do not quietly change facts, figures, conclusions or headlines. Any change of substance is disclosed in a dated note. We may fix spelling, grammar, broken links and formatting without a note, because these do not change meaning.
We do not remove published articles to hide mistakes. Articles are removed or anonymized only in rare cases, such as a legal requirement, a serious safety risk to a person or a demonstrable error that cannot be fixed by correction. Any removal is noted on the original URL where the law allows.
§7Who is responsible
gov.house has a single editor, Attila Rácz-Akácosi, who is responsible for every correction decision. Our wider standards for accuracy and sourcing are set out in Ethics & Standards and Methodology.