VoteCupertino

Inspiration

Since elections are coming up very soon, it's pertinent that we do everything we can in order to have our representation for the country. Even though many public figures are vocal about the significance of voting, there are still some obstacles that people face to get to the polls. One of these is the logistical aspect of finding somewhere to cast a ballot. By making it convenient to find a spot to vote, I hope to encourage more people to make their opinions heard, and this ultimately helps uphold democracy in our country when everybody is able to contribute to a decision.

What it does

It prompts the user for their home address, and then gives them 5 voting address. Below these addresses, there is a set of distances, which correspond to the route taken from the user's home address to each of the 5 voting centers. Additionally, there is an embedded map which has markers for each voting spot.

How I built it

I built it using simple HTML code, and a Google Maps Services API, implemented using Javascript. With the API, I accessed directions and route data, which was then able to find the distances from the user's address to each of the 5 voting centers.

Challenges I ran into

Before starting the project, I was unfamiliar with web development and the programming languages necessary to complete the project. Aside from the learning process, there were obviously many troubleshooting moments where I had to divert slightly from my original plans for the website.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I'm proud of working my idea into a functional piece of software in such a short time. This being my first significant programming project, I had a great learning experience for troubleshooting and problem solving. Specifically, I'm happy that I was able to overcome discouragement from countless failed attempts at completing this.

What I learned

I learned (and experienced firsthand) the significance of persistence, and now understand that reality can sometimes stray from your vision and theory, and it's important to be able to adapt. As for programming, I learned about web development, front-end design skills, and using API's.

What's next for VoteCupertino

Initially, I hoped to be able to sort through all of the distances and find the shortest one, but I ran into a roadblock trying to implement this feature. So, I definitely hope to keep improving this project in order for it to fulfill what I originally planned my project to be. Additionally, I hope to be able to add some stylistic effects to the website for the future.

Built With

• api