Manayunk Software Company Eyes The Future of Tech-Enhanced Voting
By tech editor Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Manayunk software developer who thinks it shouldn't be as complicated as it is to do your civic duty is working to make it easer for citizens to cast their votes, perhaps in time for next year's elections.
Faced with all the candidates and referendum questions, the 2016 ballot in Philadelphia might seem like a blur to most voters.
"Most people don't know all the issues, particularly local ones, until they step in the voting booth," notes Rob Tannen, director of research and strategy at Intuitive Company.
He says, why not put that information as close as a touch and a swipe of your smartphone?: "Having a centralized place where, as a voter, I can see who's running based on where I'm registered, and see what the issues are."
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He says his company's Intuitive Voting apps aim to get you into the voting booth, out, and on your way.
"For example, a volunteer might report waiting times out to people so they know when the best time to vote is," Tannen notes.
Today at 5:30pm, in their Rector Street office in Manayunk, Tannen was scheduled to be joined by officials from the city and from the elections watchdog agency Committee of Seventy to talk about how even those without smartphones could benefit, and whether the future will include online voting.
More details at PhillyTechWeek.com.