It was announced by Democracy Works, Inc. that it would become the new organizational home for the Voting Information Project (VIP) effective today. Today’s transition is the culmination of a months-long selection process spearheaded by The Pew Charitable Trusts to spin off the highly successful civic technology program that provides official election information to the public.
Read MoreThe Voting Information Project (VIP) is significantly expanding its support of federal, state, and local elections in 2018. As it did in 2017 during key special and off-year elections, VIP will provide critical information, such as polling place locations and ballot information, to voters who will cast ballots in more than 100 elections, including statewide and federal primary and general races in at least 46 states and the District of Columbia.
Read MoreThe Voting Information Project (VIP) works with states to ensure that Americans can easily find official voting information where they look for it most: online. A partnership of The Pew Charitable Trusts, Google, and states, VIP aims to provide voters with answers to basic questions such as “Where is my polling place?” and “What’s on my ballot?”
Read MoreThe Voting Information Project (VIP), an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts, is a collaboration with the states, Google, and other private sector partners to ensure that Americans have the official information they need to cast a ballot, including where to vote and what candidates and initiatives are on the ballot.
Read MoreIn March, the Voting Information Project (VIP) announced that it had begun the process of identifying a new home for the project in 2018 and beyond.
Read MoreThe Voting Information Project (VIP) is significantly expanding its support of state and local elections in 2017. As it did in 2016 during the general election, VIP will provide critical information, such as polling place locations and ballot information, to voters who will cast ballots in more than 70 elections.
Read MoreAs you may have heard, The Pew Charitable Trusts has initiated a planning process to determine the future of the Voting Information Project (VIP). And as part of that process, we are seeking input from the field on what stakeholders think should be the next phase of VIP.
Read MoreBefore most polls opened on Election Day, more U.S. voters had accessed Voting Information Project (VIP) tools than ever before. These resources use official government data to provide voters with information about polling place locations, hours of operation, and ballot summaries.
Read MoreAs Election Day nears, prominent companies are actively encouraging their audiences to vote. Firefox, Twitter, MTV, and LinkedIn all partnered with Get to the Polls, an effort of the Voting Information Project (VIP), to help voters access information about polling locations, hours of operation, early voting, and ballot summaries.
Read MoreThis year, social media companies are prompting voters—or prospective voters—to register to vote, find their polling locations, and make a plan for Election Day. Indeed, while online or using a smartphone, learning about casting a ballot in the 2016 election is easier than ever.
Read MoreStates across the country are using free tools from the Voting Information Project (VIP) to provide voters with timely, accurate election information. VIP’s tools—a Short Message Service (SMS) tool,* the embeddable voting information widget, and white-label iOS and Android apps—are in use in 44 states. These free resources can be customized by including a logo, official seal, preferred colors, and text, and they are designed to help states, cities, and civic-minded organizations make sure voters have the knowledge they need to cast their ballots.
Read MoreAs Election Day approaches, companies across the U.S. are finding innovative ways to share nonpartisan voting information with their audiences by using data and resources from the Voting Information Project (VIP). Now, telecommunications giant AT&T is joining this group by embedding VIP’s Voting Information Tool on its state-specific “community” websites, which offer news targeted to consumers based on where they live.
Read MoreThe Voting Information Project (VIP) has updated its digital tool to provide official voting information in 17 languages: For the 2016 presidential election, the mobile-optimized tool supports Amharic, Chinese, English, Hmong, Hindi, Japanese, Karen, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. The tool, which provides polling locations and ballot information based on users’ addresses, is free and can be embedded on websites and customized for any city, municipality, or state across a range of technology platforms.
Read MoreAlthough candidates are still campaigning, some voters have already made their choices in this year’s general election. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia allow early voting before Nov. 8. By the end of October, voters in a third of the country will have had the opportunity to cast their ballots.
Read MoreIn August, nearly 100,000 voters accessed Voting Information Project (VIP) resources to look up information for elections in 12 states—Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Over the past year, state and local governments, third-party organizations, and voters in 40 states have used VIP tools to support primaries, runoffs, and local and municipal races across the country.
Read MoreIn 2008, a group of us at The Pew Charitable Trusts and Google came together on what seemed like a far-fetched idea at the time—using the Internet to bring state and local election officials closer to their voters on key questions about the voting process: Where do I vote? What’s on my ballot? What are the rules and deadlines for casting my vote?
Read MoreElection Day is less than 100 days away, and many voters will soon be receiving their ballots in the mail or casting early ballots. Data from multiple editions of the Survey of the Performance of American Elections show that a growing number of voters are embracing these alternatives to traditional precinct voting.
Read MoreRhode Island and Kentucky are the latest states to launch online voter registration systems, bringing to 32—plus the District of Columbia—the number of states that allow citizens to register to vote and upgrade their registrations entirely online. Online registration is more convenient and efficient for voters, consumes less time and resources of state and local officials, and results in fewer inaccuracies than handwritten paper forms.
Read MoreIn advance of the May 17 presidential primary, the Oregon secretary of state’s office customized and embedded the Voting Information Project’s (VIP) Voting Information Tool to help voters find ballot drop box locations throughout the state. Elections in Oregon are conducted entirely by mail, but voters have the option to drop off their ballots at secure sites maintained by each county.
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