Digital Tools Make Finding Polling Locations Easier

Article By: Alexis Schuler & Monica Leibovitz Read time:
Projects: Election Initiatives
Digital Tools Make Finding Polling Locations Easier

This page was updated on Nov. 1, 2017, to reflect the latest usage data for Get to the Polls.

The Voting Information Project (VIP) provides free tools that give voters easy access to voting information, such as where to vote and what’s on the ballot. A range of public and private sector entities have driven user traffic through these tools:

  • The VIP Voting Information Tool is a free, mobile-optimized system that can be customized and embedded and offers official voting information—such as polling place locations and ballot contents—based on just a residential address. The tool can be easily embedded on any website and supports multiple languages. In Virginia, for example, the state’s Department of Elections—as well as local jurisdictions including the Fairfax County Office of Elections—uses this tool. The Voting Information Tool may be used by anyone, including governments, nonprofits, and advocacy organizations.
  • GetToThePolls.com is a website that allows voters to enter their addresses and find the locations and hours of their polling places plus ballot and candidate information, where available, for statewide and municipal elections.

In the first half of 2017, more than 326,000 voters accessed either Get to the Polls or the Voting Information Tool to look up information for elections across the country. In addition, state and local governments and advocacy groups have placed the Voting Information Tool on their websites throughout 2017 to support voters looking for key information about primaries, runoffs, and local and municipal races.

VIP, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts, is a collaboration with the states and Google 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.

Alexis Schuler is the senior director and Monica Leibovitz is an officer for election initiatives at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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