In the past week, I have been working with a group of highly motivated programmers and designers and activists that are looking to solve some of the connecting issues that surround Election Day – to ensure that the Democratic Process is not “overturned”. But, to make this happen – we need some programming help. And for that, we have an announcement.
Join web developers, designers, and activists this Friday, October 24th for a nationwide day-long Jam Session to build out a groundbreaking new project called Twitter Vote Report. Inspired by a blog post by techPresident writers Allison Fine and Nancy Scola, volunteers across the country are moving quickly to build a decentralized election monitoring system that will allow voters to use text messages to report incidents of voter suppression, long lines, broken machines, and other disruptions on election day. The Twitter Vote Report site will aggregate the reporting data, represent it in real-time on a dynamic web map, and notify voters, election monitoring groups, and the media, facilitating rapid response by poll workers and activists.
We’re partnering with the Election Protection Coalition, Rock the Vote, League of Young Voters, NPR, and a host of other groups to make this happen. You can help! Here’s how: 1. Host or attend a jam session on Friday – be sure to list it on the VoteReport wiki, or 2. Join us from the comfort of your home via IRC freenode channel #VoteReport, or 3. If you’re in NY, stop by The Change You Want To See Gallery from 11am to 6pm on Friday to work with the lead development team.
More info below!
Vote Report Project Uses Twitter to Monitor US Elections
Programmers, Designers, and Activists Team Up at Nationwide Parties Friday to Build System for Real-Time Reporting of Voter Suppression Incidents
WHAT: Volunteer programmers, designers and activists across the country will coordinate in online chat rooms and at real-world coding parties on Friday to build Twitter Vote Report, a groundbreaking web election monitoring system to fight voter suppression and disruption efforts. Anyone with a Twitter.com account will be able to use their cell phones or computers to send a message notifying voters, election monitors, and the media of problems around the country. A web map will display incidents in real-time. There are three ways to participate on Friday: 1. Join us at the coding jam session headquarters at The Change You Want To See Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, 2. Host your own coding jam session, 3. Join us in IRC freenode channel #VoteReport.
WHEN: Friday, November 24th, 11am – 6pm EST.
WHERE: Headquartered at “Brooklyn Coworking” in The Change You Want To See Gallery, 84 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn NY 11211. Additional locations across the country listed here: http://wiki.votereport.us/Votereport%20Jam%20Session
BACKGROUND INFO: On election day millions of Americans will go to over 200,000 distinct voting locations and using different systems and machinery to vote. Some voters will have a terrific experiences, and others will experience the same problems we have been hearing about for years – long lines, broken machines, inaccurate voting rolls, and some that we haven’t heard about before. Using Twitter.com and 1-866-Our-Vote Hotline, voters will have a new way to share these experiences with one another and ensure that the media and watchdog groups are aware of any problems.
From questions like “where do I vote” or “how do I make sure that my rights are being upheld,” Twitter Voter Report augments these efforts by providing a new way for voters to send text messages (aka tweets) via cellphones or computers which will be aggregated and mapped so that everyone can see the Nation’s voting problems in real-time.
A Nationwide web map will display pins identifying every zip code where Americans are waiting over 30 minutes to vote or indicating those election districts where the voting machines are not working. Collectively we will inform each other when the lines are too long and ensure that media and watchdog groups know when and where problems exist.
For more information:
Twitter Vote Report Wiki – http://wiki.votereport.us
Friday Jam Session info – http://wiki.votereport.us/Votereport%20Jam%20Session
Partners:
866-OUR-VOTE (The Election Protection Coalition)
Common Cause
Credo Mobile
Demos
League of Young Voters
Mobilize.org
National Public Radio
Network Redux
Not An Alternative
Open Resource Group
Rock the Vote
techPresident/Personal Democracy Forum
Voter Suppression Wiki
Women Donors Network
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