Polltimer

Get mobile reminders for voter registration deadlines and election dates. Make political engagement simple and easy.

Comment

Inspiration

A need to make political engagement easy to start.

What it does

An interactive website that sends mobile reminders for voter registration deadlines and election dates based on zip code, phone number, and email. Simple to use and easy to manage. Make the first step toward sustained political engagement.

How I built it

I used HTML5, Javascript, and CSS. I based my site design from a common license template by HTML5UP, I then brainstormed the conceptual content and incorporated basic functionalities. The original intent of the site is to set customized reminders based on user preferences (which events I'm interested in, send text X days before deadline/event, add to Google calendar), however, due to time constraints I went with a embedded widget from Rock the Vote to power my "Set Reminders" functionality.

Challenges I ran into

  • This was the first web page I've ever created. Previous graphic designing and Matlab/Java experience was a huge help.
  • I wasn't able to complete my Google Calendar API functionality, it was a more advanced topic that I had to leave as a stretch goal
  • I didn't get to launch the domain and site on domain.com due to free user restrictions I didn't expect last minute. Knowing now I should begin publishing a website domain much sooner than the deadline, and before finalizing all content.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

  • I was able to create my first HTML site! It was really fun and a skill I now know how to use.
  • I developed a great proof of concept site on a topic I'm passionate about
  • I stepped outside my comfort zone many time and also

What I learned

  • Combining HTML, Javascript, and CSS
  • Learn more about voting rights resources and activism
  • Time management skills and project planning

What's next for Polltimer

  1. Domain http://Polltimer.com coming soon!
  2. Additional custom reminders to incorporate Google Calendar, text, email
  3. An interactive checklists and on voter registration and absentee ballot requests
  4. Toggle to enter zipcode and output all important dates and guidelines, representatives, on a single page, option to print PDF

Built With

Share this project:

Updates