No, you still can’t vote on your phone, but civic tech has come out in full force this election season. New digital products and strategies from nonprofits, political campaigns, and social networks are making civic mobilization and action easier than ever. We’ve rounded up our favorite tools that are helping to get out the vote—and we’re already dreaming up new applications for the technologies long past election day.
Find your polling place
Websites such as the DNC-funded iwillvote.com are demystifying the voting process by providing clear, actionable direction on registering to vote, where to vote, and how to vote in each state. The no-frills, bipartisan, mobile-friendly website is available in both English and Spanish and is indispensable to both 18-year-olds and 80-year-olds alike.
Find your match
Hillary vs. Trump—that’s probably obvious. But are you unsure about all those down-ballot races, which are also extremely important? Voter is an app that offers “matchmaking for politics.” The Tinder-like interface asks you to swipe right or left on issues such as domestic oil drilling and marriage equality to help you determine your candidate pick. Warning: the app is highly addictive and you may discover that Chuck Schumer is your soulmate:
Find your date
OK, now that you know where to vote and who to vote for, you don’t want to forget to vote early or on Election Day (in case you live in a bubble or you get your info from Donald Trump). TurboVote has your back with personalized text or email reminders, and—as I’m sure you’ve noticed—social network notifications, badges, and reminders to vote are inescapable across the web!
Find your voice
Are you passionate about your candidate or cause but too shy to knock on doors? Both the Clinton and Trump campaigns have voter contact apps and sites that let you make calls or send text messages from the comfort of your own home just like you might at a traditional phone bank in a campaign field office. Stuck at your desk all day? Hillary’s Swing a Swing State Chrome plug-in will remind you to take action each day whether you have 1 minute or 2 hours to spare.
Digital group campaigning in the form of text-a-thons is also making significant strides in getting out the vote. Color for Change PAC’s Black Battleground State Text-a-Thons have yielded over 715,000 texts to eligible African American voters across the country.
Find your wallet
Beyond GOTV, technology has been creatively applied to fundraising this election season. Technology from BSD Tools such as Quick Donate, which enables one-click giving in emails or online, makes it almost too easy to donate to your favorite candidate and cause.
While technology has made fundraising easier, creative technology-driven ideas such as Hillary’s Troll Trump make donating actually FUN! Troll Trump lets donors pledge a set amount ($.25 to $10.00) each time Donald tweets (don’t worry, you can set a daily limit).
So, now that you have all the tools you need to vote, get out there and exercise your right!