NYC Votes is a first-in-the-nation public-private partnership to promote voter registration, participation and civic engagement in elections through technology. Pivotal Labs, along with Method and AppOrchard, helped the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) and its Voter Assistance Committee (VAAC) create a mobile website that will streamline the political process for voters and candidates alike.
Through its public matching funds program, the CFB seeks to counteract the role of big money in the political process by encouraging candidates for City office to raise small contributions from everyday New Yorkers. VAAC’s mission is to increase civic engagement in all local elections, by encouraging more New Yorkers to register and vote. The NYC Votes project sought to lower the barriers to meaningful participation by making the political process as accessible and convenient as any e-commerce application.
The first release of the app, the Candidate Contribution Tool, launched on the 4th of July. It empowered candidates and campaign staffers to collect and process credit card contributions on their mobile phones. Instead of handling checks and manually entering data into the CFB’s reporting software, candidates can use the app to export the necessary data and upload it directly into the CFB’s system, simplifying compliance with legal requirements. Dozens of candidates are now using the tool.
In its second release, the Voter Tool provided voters the ability to see who’s on the ballot in their district, view the candidates’ official Voter Guide profiles, and leverage social networks to let them interact with candidates. It also allows votors to make contributions to the candidates of their choice, and directs them to their polling place on Election Day.
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