By: Techli Staff
Almost 92 million eligible Americans did not vote in the 2016 presidential elections, and in the 2014 midterm elections, an estimated 143 million eligible Americans failed to vote—marking the lowest voter participation in 72 years. Although those numbers have started to change in the more recent elections, it’s important to note why in recent years American citizens have opted out of one of the most important rights they are given in their society.
This phenomenon demonstrates the need for a reframing of the political mindset in America. Something that is a vital component of voting is critical thinking and it needs to be employed again when election season comes around. The problem is, many citizens don’t feel they can truly use this cognitive capacity because they are woefully underinformed.
One online platform, We Will Decide, looks to put these imperative and insightful tools back into voters’ hands so that they can better understand what their right to vote means, and how they can utilize it to the best of their ability. By informing citizens of all of the information involved with candidates that look to represent them in the nation’s governmental body, this company looks to turn the tide towards empowerment in regards to the right (and duty) to vote in the US.
A Platform for Citizens
Founder of WeWillDecide.com, Kelly Riordan, first dreamed up the idea of the online political information platform in the hopes to generate a better way for the average person to obtain insight on US voting matters. After attempting to obtain pragmatic data rather than personal opinion for years, Kelly realized there was yet to be a source where people could go to simply gain the knowledge they needed to head to the polls.
As a citizen who felt lost in her right to vote as well, she created the platform to generate a landing page of the representatives as well as the relative legislation they support—but without the bias, fear, or strategic concealing that typically comes with the political process.
The website first helps to find specific representatives’ voting history on topics that might be important to the individual, helping to personalize the voting process. When it comes to matters that voters are unsure of, it also provides a calculation on the percentage of agreement between users and their representatives, as well as with every single member of the Senate and the House, in one digital place.
The proprietary platform goes further to track all the bills and laws congressional members have voted on, both past and pending so that users can see first-hand the different legislation in a comprehensive and approachable way. Another available feature is to see the trajectory of legislation that is being voted into effect. Bills, laws, amendments, and joint resolutions are shown exactly as they appear to congressmen, and if voters need more information on a bill, they can click on it to go to the official page where they can read all about the bill themselves.
With the capacity to vote alongside their representatives on the same bills they vote on, and with the same amount of valuable insight, users can compare their opinions with those of every congressman (or woman) and feel confident when the voting day approaches. This levels the playing field and restores the very essence of purpose in what it means to vote. Constructed for the sharing of authentic political information with integrity, the website is both ad-free and politically neutral. The site is free, but a nominal monthly donation (as little as $1) is recommended as the site runs only donations only.
Heading With Confidence to The Polls
With Midterm elections coming around the bend, many politicians have begun to formulate their campaigns for American votes across all 50 states. Exercising critical thinking allows citizens to build an individual political standpoint, actually understanding what actions representatives have taken and how they justify them. Through its multi-faceted approach, the We Will Decide online platform aims to integrate useful voting information into a user’s everyday life, making it attainable to everyone—no matter where they live, what their political opinion is, or how savvy they are with our political system.
By joining the platform, US citizens young and old can make more informed decisions for both themselves and the future of their country. As they say, knowledge is power, and the free sharing of that knowledge for the betterment of society at large is what will help this year’s voting season become one of success.