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ROTATION RESEARCH

Term-Limit Comparator

Compare governing eligibility boundaries, the consequences of reaching them, and the conditions under which eligibility may return.

Comparator 2.01. The 1,504-record core dataset is supplemented by ten qualified local-office records and the separately Featured RR 3/2 reference model. Office-specific source and calculation qualifications apply. November 2026 proposals remain pending.

EXPLORE · COMPARE · OPTIONAL ALTERNATIVE

Compare Term-Limit Systems

Begin with a jurisdiction and office in A. Add systems when comparison is useful, or explore a single-office hypothetical alternative.

Examine one system in A, then add B, C, and D as needed.

AFIRST SYSTEM
Add another system to compare. Begin with A alone, or add B for a comparison.
Existing systems are based on reviewed governing records. Custom systems illustrate hypothetical eligibility rules.
Choose a jurisdiction or hypothetical system in A to see its complete results here.
Method and classification notes
Method. The Comparator classifies Eligibility Regime Architecture separately from the temporal mechanism through which a rule operates. Endpoint Systems culminate in non-restorable Eligibility Exhaustion at the applicable boundary. Restorable Eligibility Regimes preserve or restore future eligibility; Stint-Permission Regimes are the subtype that limits a continuous or consecutive stint and restores eligibility after the governing interruption. Structurally Indeterminate Regimes leave the future eligibility condition unresolved. Open Eligibility identifies continuing eligibility to seek successive terms under the reviewed temporal eligibility rule. The Comparator separately preserves mechanisms such as Fixed Restoration, Rolling Window, Defined-Period, Interruption-Defined, Conditional Continuation, Lifetime Exhaustion, and Election-Count Boundary. It preserves each governing architecture's own unit—years, terms, elections, or a chronological condition—and normalizes elapsed time only where the rule permits a meaningful conversion. State and local records preserve office-specific scope, chamber or governing-body structure, and governing term lengths where those features are part of the eligibility architecture.

For Interruption-Defined systems, the governing rule establishes a qualifying condition for restored eligibility. A numerical restoration interval requires a specified duration in the governing text or an authoritative interpretation. Administrative or judicial construction may determine when eligibility returns, including whether a nominal interruption satisfies the consecutive-service boundary. The Comparator records the textual condition, subsequent authoritative interpretation, and any illustrative interruption duration entered for modeling. Procedures for contesting or correcting an interpretation depend on the governing institutional arrangements.

Dataset Status and Use

Dataset Status. The Rotation Research Term-Limit Comparator is a maintained legal and institutional dataset. The dataset is reviewed on a scheduled quarterly cycle and updated between scheduled reviews when identified legal changes, ballot measures, court decisions, elections, effective dates, or official recodifications warrant interim review.

Dataset current through: October 1, 2026
Next scheduled review: January 1, 2027
Territorial expansion: Five inhabited U.S. territories added in 13 territorial-level office architectures in five separately validated passes (September 20, 2026). American Samoa governor other-law qualification and local mayor/delegate questions remain in review.

Comparator classifications reflect Rotation Research’s review of the governing authorities identified for each architecture. Users relying on Comparator results for publication, legal analysis, or other purposes where current legal status is material should independently verify the governing authority and current law.

Corrections and Source Updates. Rotation Research welcomes corrections to the Comparator’s eligibility classifications, governing rules, counting provisions, transition conditions, effective dates, and source references. Readers identifying an error, unclear classification, or relevant legal change are invited to identify the jurisdiction and office and submit supporting evidence through our Contact page.

Corrections are reviewed against the governing authorities and incorporated into the maintained dataset as warranted.

Use of the Comparator. The Comparator is provided for research, educational, analytical, and informational use. Users may cite and discuss Comparator results with appropriate attribution to Rotation Research. The Comparator presents Rotation Research classifications and descriptions of governing architectures based on the cited source materials. The underlying constitutions, statutes, charters, ordinances, election materials, judicial decisions, and other public records remain subject to their own legal status and source terms.

Copyright and Dataset Use. © 2026 Rotation Research. The Term-Limit Comparator software, original classifications, descriptions, compilation, organization, and metadata structure are proprietary works of Rotation Research. Public access to the Comparator permits use of the interactive research tool. It does not grant permission to reproduce, redistribute, republish, or commercially distribute the Comparator software or a substantial portion of the compiled dataset, except as otherwise permitted by law or by written license from Rotation Research. For licensing or authorized dataset use, contact Rotation Research.