The most exciting part of the NationBuilder Election Center has been the 130 developers who are interested in creating apps using the new open voter file API.
Much to my surprise, developer questions have been less technical and more about what kinds of apps campaigns need right now. They are eager to help, so campaign managers and organizers -- what would be the most useful apps before the election? Now is your chance to give them your wish list!
You can submit your ideas below. Campaigns can tag other ideas with “useful” or “not useful” to help determine which are the best. Developers can use “complicated” and “simple” to indicate which are feasible for this election cycle and which might be more long term.
Keep an eye out for new applications as they’re released, and we’ll make sure to also highlight them on the NationBuilder blog.
Facebook app like Wufoo
Hi NationBuilders!
for Iphone: block by block lists of voters and ability to code and tag them real-time
for Iphone: block by block lists of voters and ability to code and tag them real-time (busy, yes vote, has children at x school, etc)
Canadian political boundaries
With more Canadians like me using Nation Builder, great to get the Canadian political boundaries (fedearal and provincial) integrated. Thanks!
Streamlined Data Input
The ability to Edit data gathered per walk-lists in an excell type view or something like jEditable that does not jar the user from data input focus when navigating data fields
Maintain Turf Maps
The ability to maintain the color coded maps generated when turf cutting and print them on large format printers.
Smaller Districts
I'm working in a Community College District, one which overlaps multiple state assembly districts, and we want to be able to pull out only voters in the district. Any way this is happening?
Custom Walk Lists
I would like to see the ability to create custom walk lists so our canvassers can document answers to specific questions all on one sheet.
timed emails
Can we get the ability to schedule emails for a future time?
Yes.
Form emails
An application where an individual could, for example, "email your elected official" with a prepared, or customized message about an issue.
Am I registered?
Voters can look up their own record, and if not registered, use Rock the Vote or TurboVote to get registered or update their registration.To support this, the API would need to allow single user queries regardless of a campaign authorization.
Volunteer Capacity Planner
An app that maps neighborhood density for volunteers. For example, if you have only a certain number of volunteers, you want to make sure that they are all covering the same number of households. Building a map that shows the population and density for various neighborhoods would allow campaigns to "load balance" volunteer workload.
Yard sign planner
Input the number of yard signs you want to put up and the app optimizes location for maximum traffic, tracks yard signs and displays them on a map. Volunteers can pull up a map that shows what signs they are responsible to place or pick up.