Know Your Vote: Empowering the Politically Curious to Make Informed Choices. At Know Your Vote, we believe that knowledge is power when it comes to voting. Our nonpartisan platform is dedicated to providing you with factual information that empowers your vote. For one and a half years, I passionately worked on this project outside of my 9-to-5 job, driven by the belief that everyone deserves accessible resources to fully understand the candidates.

In its initial four months of going live, Know Your Vote made a remarkable impact, reaching over 100,000 voters. This resounding response reaffirms our commitment to providing a valuable resource that resonates with individuals seeking a deeper understanding of the political landscape.

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User Studies

In 2019, we conducted a user survey to explore the relationship between people, politics, and information consumption. By delving deep into the realms of how individuals access political knowledge and influence their voting behavior, we gained valuable insights that served as the bedrock of our product's features.

Survey Demographics

∙ Survey respondents from CUTGroup network, Chicago-based
∙ A representative sample of over 100 respondents
∙ 90% of respondents either always or usually vote
∙ All ages range represented, with the highest volumes in the 26-35 (33%) and 36-45 (29%) groups
∙ 62% women and 33% men
∙ Racially mixed: 60% white, 25% black, 8% Asian, 4% Hispanic
∙ Mixed-income levels: 35% $60-100k, 20% <$40k, everything else split evenly

Survey Key Results

Product Opportunities

During the survey, a sentiment emerged: people yearn for factual information, devoid of sensationalized narratives. In response, our product is designed to source data from publicly available, government, and academic sources. We prioritize primary sources, going as far as incorporating social media handles and campaign pages of each candidate. Our commitment to nonpartisanship is unwavering as we present comprehensive information on all candidates, regardless of their political affiliations. We firmly believe that voting is a deeply personal decision, and our purpose is to empower you to make an informed choice that aligns with your own values. See our data sources

Our team members demonstrated exceptional proficiency in establishing a robust foundation for organizing data from diverse sources. Guided by my mission, I embarked on the following endeavor:

Early Explorations & MVP

To keep up with the fast-paced primary elections within the Republican and Democratic parties, we swiftly launched a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in early 2020 to gather user feedbacks.

What we learned from MVP

Taking into account user feedback, we worked on addressing key pain points and enhancing the user experience, leading us to develop Know Your Vote 1.0.
The new version incorporates significant improvements in response to the following areas of concern:
1. Candidate Comparison: Recognizing the challenge users faced when comparing multiple candidates, we have introduced a feature that enables users to effortlessly compare candidates side by side. With this enhancement, users can now conveniently evaluate various candidates' profiles without the need to constantly switch between different pages.

2. Simplified Issue Navigation: Understanding the overwhelming amount of information available on the platform, we have implemented an intuitive design element that assists users in quickly identifying the most relevant issues. By offering clear pathways and highlighting key topics, we aim to alleviate user confusion and provide them with a focused understanding of the critical issues associated with each candidate.

3. Approachable Visual Design: We have reimagined the color scheme and visual aesthetics to cultivate a more inviting atmosphere. The updated design elements incorporate lighter tones and a user-friendly interface, fostering a welcoming environment.

Know Your Vote 1.0