Software engineers, even with limited time and energy, can play a meaningful role in strengthening democracy and supporting systemic change by leveraging their technical skills in small, high-impact ways. Contributing to open-source civic tech projects—like voter access tools, government transparency platforms, or secure communication apps for organizers—can fit into short, focused bursts of time. Engineers can also mentor younger developers working on social impact tools, help ethical startups or nonprofits improve their digital infrastructure, or simply automate repetitive tasks for grassroots groups to free up their time. Even offering periodic feedback on user experience or security for mission-driven apps can be a quiet yet powerful contribution. When time is scarce, small, strategic creative projects can still ripple outward—supporting others who are pushing for the change we all hope to see.
Check out the work of some inspirational people innovating for democracy!
These folks and projects have no affiliation with Votecraft – we’re just posting them because they’re awesome!
George Hofstetter
Co‑developed CopStop to address police violence; since then, he’s founded GHTech Inc., focusing on tech & curriculum for social justice.
Joshua Tauberer, Ph.D.
Best known for creating GovTrack.us, the widely used educational website about the U.S
Tracy Chou
Software engineer and entrepreneur who advocates for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
Coraline Ada Ehmke
Tech ethicist, activist, and software engineer with a career built on promoting diversity, equity, and justice in the technology industry.
DemocracyLab – A volunteer–tech matchmaker: https://www.democracylab.org/
Open States – Aggregated state legislative data and API: https://openstates.org/
Good Party – Platform empowering independent candidates: https://goodparty.org/
BallotNav – Locate safe ballot drop‑off points: https://ballotnav.org/
mySociety – UK-based transparency tools (FixMyStreet, TheyWorkForYou, etc.): https://www.mysociety.org/
Code for Democracy – Civic data & transparency tooling: https://codefordemocracy.org/
NewsBias.io – (Comparable to AllSides/MBFC) – actually AllSides: https://www.allsides.com/
VoteShield – Voter registration anomaly monitoring: https://www.voteshield.us
Pol.is – Distributed consensus‑building conversation tool: https://pol.is/
Citygram (Public Input API) – Now part of Plural/Open States tools: https://pluralpolicy.com/
Code for America https://codeforamerica.org/
We’ve inherited a world shaped by complex, imperfect systems—from global supply chains to entrenched policies. Ethical choices are important, and awareness is the first step. Still, no one creates in a vacuum of perfection. What matters is showing up—sharing, expressing, participating. That’s how we shape better policies, deepen understanding, and affirm our shared humanity.
We urge you to get involved somehow in whatever little way is possible for you! Use what you have. Speak your truth. Create boldly.
When: February 22–23, 2025
Where: Boston University, MA
Focus: Student-centered civic tech solutions in areas like civic engagement, policy, and education
When: September 18, 2025 (and weekend events across the U.S.)
What: A national civic-tech hackathon encouraging developers, designers, and community leaders to build tools for public good—ranging from open-data apps to public-works innovations
When: April 2025
What: A civic-tech hackathon focused on building transparency, legislative accountability, and democracy-enhancing applications