Keep our elections clean: New poll watching app

raulism

Do you think there might be hanky-panky at the New York City Board of Elections? Well, you can keep them honest yourself with a new app….

Well, that's what I hope. I just heard about his today from Common Cause, but it seems like a phenomenal idea.

Common Cause New York will be using the primary election tomorrow to beta test our http://www.pollwatchusa.org web app, in SD 31 (Washington Heights & parts of the Upper Westside, Manhattan) and in AD50 & 57 (Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Fort Greene and Prospect Heights, Brooklyn). The app, featured today in the New York Times’ City Room blog, is designed to empower voters to report problems from their mobile phones. As Sam Roberts of the New York Times points out, “The application at pollwatchusa.org allows anyone with a smartphone to identify their polling place (either automatically, by sensing their location, or after typing in their ZIP code) and to report on long lines or other deterrents to voting.”

Help us test the app if you live (or are poll watching) in SD 31, or AD 50 & 57! All you need to do is report back your experience at the polls - let us know if you experience long lines, harassment, or even just let us know that everything went smoothly. After you vote, go to http://pollwatch.us/ on your mobile phone and tell us about your voting experience or, if you’re observing, what you’ve found at the polling place. Many of the people receiving this message live in one of the target districts and it would be great if you could help us by using the app from your smartphone tomorrow and by sharing information about PollWatch with your friends, colleagues and neighbors living or active in our target districts.

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We expect to roll out the app Citywide for the November election.