Customizing the Voting Information Tool Just Got Easier
In 2014, the Voting Information Project (VIP) released the customizable Voting Information Tool, which delivers up-to-date official voting information online or via mobile devices using just a residential address. To make the tool even easier to customize, VIP has built a widget that walks users through the process of adding branded content. The widget makes customization simple, with easy steps such as:
Select a theme and color scheme.
Choose a state seal or upload an organization's logo.
Add modifications, such as the alert "Don't forget to vote!"
Use a language other than English. (The tool is available in 10 languages.)
The tool was developed to give state and local governments, media outlets, and third-party groups a way to provide official election information on their websites. During the 2014 general election, it was featured on over 1,500 websites nationwide, including on the official election sites for California, Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Virginia.
VIP, a project of The Pew Charitable Trusts, partners with state election officials and Google to ensure that voters can easily get answers to basic questions such as "Where is my polling place?" "What's on my ballot?" and "How do I navigate the voting process?" VIP will support more than 60 elections in 2015. The tool displays information for an upcoming election roughly two to four weeks in advance. If you have any questions about the tool, data availability, or VIP's other free apps and tools, please contact the VIP team at info@votinginfoproject.org.
This post was previously featured on Pew’s Election Data Dispatches. The Data Dispatches provide data, research, and analysis about election administration in the U.S. Follow future Data Dispatches on Twitter using #electiondata and get the latest data dispatches, research, and news by subscribing today.