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iPhone app makes instant donations to campaigns
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03/02/10 06:00 AM ET
Donating money to your favorite political candidate just got easier.
So if you're ever, say, waiting for a bus or trying to pass the time in a boring meeting, you can whip out your iPhone or BlackBerry to make a donation on the spot.
The Visible Vote smartphone application is responding to the recent Supreme Court decision that lifts limits on corporate contributions.
The goal is to make it so simple and convenient for voters to make small donations that the total given will outweigh corporate influence, said Paul Everton, who created Visible Vote a year and a half ago.
The application builds on the records set in the 2008 presidential election, when President Barack Obama and rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) raised a total of $213 million in small contributions from individuals.
Visible Vote started as a way to keep track of how closely members of Congress vote with the views of their constituents. Its 63,000 users can compare their own views with those of members or candidates to see if lawmakers are accurately representing their constituents.
Everton, whose day job is running the networks for a San Francisco company, envisions candidates in this year's mid-term elections leveraging the application to get a better feel for how people in their districts stand on critical issues.
When donating money to campaigns, Visible Vote automatically submits the required data to campaigns, abiding by Federal Election Commission rules.
"The basic idea is to track how often lawmakers are voting against the views of their constituents," Everton told The Hill. He's trying to spread the word about the application in Washington. "We can look at the races everyone cares about for 2010."
Other features of the application, which is available on computers, iPhones, BlackBerrys and Android phones, include viewing state-by-state data on legislator performance and instantly sending faxes or emails to elected officials.
So if you're ever, say, waiting for a bus or trying to pass the time in a boring meeting, you can whip out your iPhone or BlackBerry to make a donation on the spot.
The Visible Vote smartphone application is responding to the recent Supreme Court decision that lifts limits on corporate contributions.
The goal is to make it so simple and convenient for voters to make small donations that the total given will outweigh corporate influence, said Paul Everton, who created Visible Vote a year and a half ago.
The application builds on the records set in the 2008 presidential election, when President Barack Obama and rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) raised a total of $213 million in small contributions from individuals.
Visible Vote started as a way to keep track of how closely members of Congress vote with the views of their constituents. Its 63,000 users can compare their own views with those of members or candidates to see if lawmakers are accurately representing their constituents.
Everton, whose day job is running the networks for a San Francisco company, envisions candidates in this year's mid-term elections leveraging the application to get a better feel for how people in their districts stand on critical issues.
When donating money to campaigns, Visible Vote automatically submits the required data to campaigns, abiding by Federal Election Commission rules.
"The basic idea is to track how often lawmakers are voting against the views of their constituents," Everton told The Hill. He's trying to spread the word about the application in Washington. "We can look at the races everyone cares about for 2010."
Other features of the application, which is available on computers, iPhones, BlackBerrys and Android phones, include viewing state-by-state data on legislator performance and instantly sending faxes or emails to elected officials.
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