The Democracy App is a proposed secure, open-source digital voting platform designed to make elections more accessible, cost-effective, and trustworthy. It aims to fulfill the constitutional promise of "one person, one vote" regardless of geography, income, or disability status.
Todays election systems face:
Low participation due to barriers like transportation, mobility, or long lines
High costs of in-person voting infrastructure
Erosion of trust due to misinformation and opaque processes
A mobile, digitally secure platform can expand participation, lower costs, and enhance transparency if built correctly.
End-to-End Encryption - Every vote is encrypted before submission and only decrypted within secure, jurisdictional vote-counting systems.
Biometric & Multi-Factor Voter Authentication - Identity confirmed through government ID + facial recognition, fingerprint, or secure device login.
Open Source Codebase - Reviewed by public auditors, security researchers, and civic institutions to ensure transparency.
Offline Voting Queue Mode - Voters can prepare and encrypt their ballot offline; it is transmitted securely once connected.
Universal Accessibility - Compliant with ADA standards; includes voice guidance, large text, language support, and screen-reader compatibility.
Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (Optional Integration) - Ballots can be paired with home-printed or mailed paper audit records when required by local law
Digital elections cost less than 30% of traditional in-person polling once deployed at scale. This makes publicly financed elections feasible reducing the influence of private donors.
Managed by an independent civic trust
Regular audits by third-party cryptographers and civic watchdogs
Voter data is anonymized, encrypted, and never stored post-election
Phase 1: Use within usdemocracy.org for voting on organizational priorities
Phase 2: Secure demo + simulated elections
Phase 3: Congressional representatives use the app for communication channel with verified constituents
Phase 4: Accessibility & trust testing in small jurisdictions
Phase 5: Full-scale pilot in municipal or state-level elections
Phase 6: Use for national elections in a few states
Q: What if I lose my phone?
A: Each vote is tied to identity verification not the device. Lost phones do not affect already-cast ballots.
Q: Can the government track how I voted?
A: No. Votes are anonymized and encrypted in transit. No identifying info is attached to the ballot once verified.
Q: What if I don't trust my government?
A: That's the point, this system is verifiable by third-party auditors, not just government officials.
A critical feature of The Democracy App will be an integrated, secure feedback and communication channel between verified constituents and their elected representatives.
Features:
- Verified users can send structured input, survey responses, or messages directly to their congressional offices.
- Eventually verified users can communicate with an AI agent assigned to the representative and a watchdog officer whose job it is to verify your representative is abiding by ethics rules.
- Representatives receive anonymized, aggregated insights showing real-time sentiment from their district or state.
- Enables elected officials to stay better informed of constituent priorities outside of election cycles.
This feature of the Democracy App strengthens democratic accountability and gives citizens a continuous voice, not just a vote every few years.
One of the priorities of usdemocracy.org is to have ballot propositions at the national level. The Democracy App will help provide a a low cost platform for making this possible. Here are some advantages of national propositions. We will cover these more fully later on.
Bypass Gridlock
When Congress stalls, the people can act.
Example: Immigration reform could have passed years ago if presented directly to voters in a thoughtful, balanced way.
Re-center Policy on Public Priorities
National referendums could tackle healthcare, gun safety, climate, reproductive rights—issues with strong public consensus, but no legislative traction.
Build Trust & Engagement
Citizens become active decision-makers, not just spectators between elections.
Correct for Elite Disconnect
Forces political elites to face voter judgment on issues, not just personalities.