PolitiCan

Inspiration

Anyone can become politically active, but it can be challenging to do so. Nowadays, so much information is available, but it can be difficult to determine what is accurate and relevant. Other common obstacles include not having the time to participate in political events, feeling intimidated due to lack of knowledge, and safety concerns regarding in-person events during the pandemic. PolitiCan was created to provide a tool that consolidates personalized information to each user, helping them to overcome these obstacles.

What it does

PolitiCan helps users become more politically active in two ways: voting and activism.

To help users navigate the election, PolitiCan provides information on candidates and ballot issues based on the users location so that they are able to review their ballot before going to the polls. When the user is ready to vote, locations and wait times for nearby polling stations is provided on the app, making voting more accessible for people who don't have as much time. Information on how crowded each polling station is also available, allowing users to pick stations where they are able to practice social distancing. Users can also "like" or leave reviews on polling stations they visited.

To encourage social activism, users can view protests and related events near them. They are able to filter based on causes that they care most about to find events that they are interested in attending. PolitiCan provides the date, a description of the event, and weather for outdoor events. Users are also able to keep an incidence log to provide witness accounts of things that happen in their communities, such as car accidents.