The vote itself is usually a paper based system where an individual attends a predesignated place on a specific day and votes for a candidate of their choice. Also, it is possible to vote for a specific question (Scotland leaving the UK for example) but these questions are very rare and seldom used. This method allows the 'people' to express their view and considering the logistics involved in organising and counting votes, it is understandable why it has to be used sparingly.
However, because it has worked well in the past doesn't mean that it is the only method moving forward. Its major downsides are that it doesn't give the 'people' a true voice on individual issues and doesn't giving the Government a view of the pulse of the 'people'.
But all is not lost, we have something that society has never had before, a tool that gives everyone with a PC/Smart Device the chance to express their view. The tool is the Internet, but as with many tools there has to be a will to use it and a desire to make the most of it. It is at this point we have failed to see its true power regarding gaining the 'pulse of the people'.
The Internet has made news instantaneous, allowed personal opinions on a neverending range of subjects easily shareable (Facebook/Twitter for example) and also contains a breathtaking amount of knowledge. However, with all these amazing things, what power does the individual have to change the world they live in? Sure, you might get lucky and get a million followers on twitter and then be able to get your message across, but maybe there should be other ways to allow you to make a difference.
How can this be achieved and how do I get my opinions heard? Do I have anything useful to say? Why bother, things never change so why try?
All really good questions and it is important that we try to answer them. So lets do that starting with the last one first.
Why bother, things never change so why try?
Firstly, you should never accept that we personally can't make a difference. The students in Tiananmen Square believed that they could change the course of the Chinese nation (search for 'Tank Man' to see the power of the individual). Racial segragation in America only changed because of individuals taking a stand (search 'Rosa Parks' for one such example). You only need to say Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and the list goes on. These are just a few of the world renowned examples. There are countless people who have made a small impact on society that all add up to help shape the world we live in. So, there should never be a 'why bother' attitude. Sure, its never a good idea to run in-front of the first tank that you see, but the right act at the right time can achieve amazing things if we believe in our own power to affect change.
Do I have anything useful to say?
Yes! You have a lifetime of useful things to say. Whether you are 16 or 90 years old your views and opinions matter. Sure, not every view you have will be shared by the masses but it still has value and meaning. For example, 'Where do you stand on plastic pollution in our oceans?' You have a view, it might be 'Plastic is bad and it should not be made anymore', it might be 'Plastic is not the issue-it is the people that put it in the oceans that are to blame' or 'It is not a big issue and I don't think anything should be done'. Now if 10 million, or 100 million or even a billion people expressed a view then the governments around the world would act. They would have to because these votes are from people that had elected them. So if you voted and it was your vote in those millions then you personally would have made a difference, all because you had acted and most importantly because you had been bothered!
How can this be achieved and how do I get my opinions heard?
Its-your-vote.com has been created by two people who passionately believe that we need to engage in the world around us. The idea is a simple one, create a website/mobile app with one purpose: Allow people to express their views and make the government/establishment sit-up and take notice. They might ignore it to begin with, but you can't argue facts and figures and if enough people join and vote then their views will speak for themselves. Don't you find it amazing that with all this technology we don't already have this? We can vote for our favourite singer or talent acts in the millions, but we can't vote for how to stop plastic pollution. One kind of vote makes big businesses millions of pounds where as the other vote is about saving our planet. Maybe now it is easy to see why a true voting platform doesn't exist (until now) because it is not about making money, it is about allowing people to engage in the world around us.
Our concept is simple-we get a couple of basic facts from a person (age/gender/first part of post code) and we ensure that when anyone votes their choice is not stored against their user profile. In the same way that when you vote in a general election your vote isn't recorded against you personally we won't do that either. The voting choice that you pick is encrypted across the internet and critically we store the vote agaist an avatar of your age/gender/location, so your vote might be stored under Mr 21-35 Texas, USA if that was the details you provided. This makes linking your vote back to you impossible. Even in the very unlikely event that we got hacked then our database and logs would have no record of how you voted. All they would get is that there was a male between 21-35 living in Texas, USA. But, it is important to stress we take security very seriously and don't expect to be hacked so rest assured that your gender/age range/location combination will remain safe and secure.
So, what do we do with all the data that we collect on your votes? Easy, we give it all away and make it freely available via our website/mobile apps. There is no sale of data to the highest bidder and no special deal with media agencies for first look. We are not focused on making money from your data and votes. The only money we make is from adverts that appear on our web pages/apps.
So with those questions answered how does our voting platform work?
Voting itself couldn't be easier, the best method is via the App on either Apple or Android stores for mobile devices - just search for 'Its Your Vote' and download the app (or from mobile device click on the link at bottom of the page). You can also register directly from our website.
Whilst we aim to ask the big voting questions on subjects like Brexit, the environment and other big issues we will also have voting questions across a range of subjects and aim to be varied and diverse. Afterall, we are all individuals with different interests and opinions and contrary to what you might read in the news there is life beyond Brexit.
Once you have signed up you will be able to vote - we run main event, weekly and daily votes. When you first sign-up you might get 5 or 6 votes, but after that we aim to never have more than 3 votes a day. Your mobile device/website will get an automatic notification when new votes are available so you don't need to keep checking. The whole process takes about 1-2 minutes daily, so it won't impact your routine much. Results are available once a vote closes and as already said, we share all information and hold nothing back.
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