Registering to vote is a big deal. The right to choose your leaders is an amazing gift, bestowed upon us through generations of struggle. Yet, an astounding number of Americans aren't taking advantage of it. HelloVote hopes to change that, by bringing the voter registration process into the digital age.
"The reality is that today we work, play and shop on our phones," Tiffany Cheng co-founder at HelloVote said. "HelloVote is revolutionizing the making of a democracy and is bringing voter registration out of the dark ages. Hopefully, making the difference for people who may never have registered but can now by text.”
More than 19 percent of Americans aren't registered to vote. That number rises to 35 percent for young voters and 30 percent for Latino voters. Look to your left and right, and chances are one of you aren't going to be able to vote in November, no matter what comes out about Hillary's emails or what outlandish things The Donald says.
Today, HelloVote uses a chatbot to register people from the comfort and ubiquity of a cell phone.
“A full ninety-six percent of Americans have a mobile phone and now they can use it to register to vote,” Cheng said. “This election is probably the most-discussed in our lifetime, and HelloVote aims to turn talkers into voters."
It really is that simple too. By simply texting 384-387, HelloVote will prompt you through the process of registering to vote. The whole thing takes just a minute or two, and the service doesn't cost a dime. The technology works in compliance with the voter registration regulations in all 50 states, and can also register users through the Hello.Vote website or Facebook Messanger.
HelloVote said it is a non-partisan, nonprofit service, and was created by the Boston-based tech nonprofits Fight for the Future and the Fight for the Future Education Fund.
