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Data and Machine Learning to Get Out the Vote

civicinnovation.com

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Re: Data and Machine Learning to Get Out the Vote

#2

Post by eykanal »

While this seems like a great idea, their privacy policy [1] has me slightly worried:

> We collect and use the personal directory data on your device to provide the App’s functionality, to improve our services, and in some instances, to contact you. This directory data includes, but is not limited to information in your address book such as your contact record IDs, contact names, phone numbers, and email addresses. The App will not collect your contacts’ addresses or zip code. By downloading the App, you consent to our use of this data.

So they won't collect addresses or zip code (why are those separate?). That means they likely will collect name & phone number (which, if landline, means they have address as well), and any other information in the contact card (relationship, company, job title, etc). I would want to see the vast majority of that anonymized–or, better yet, not collected at all–before I'd consent to using this.

So yeah, great idea, but don't be data-greedy. No thanks.

[1]: http://www.civicinnovation.com/img/VoteWithMePP.pdf

Re: Data and Machine Learning to Get Out the Vote

#3

Post by wahsd »

It always strikes me that "getting out the vote" is very much like stuffing the ballot box through voters. If you cannot figure out, let alone be bothered to register to vote in 4 whole years; and then on top of it have to be babied and hand held to actually vote, how is it in any way reasonable to think that is a qualified person to cast a vote, let alone an informed vote.

It really actually is a contributing factor of the decline of our democracy because what does it matter being informed if informing and educating yourself means nothing because someone who doesn't have the foggiest idea can totally negate your vote. And as we all know, there are far more people who don't have the foggiest idea than the latter.

We really need qualified votes of some kind. Maybe you get points for attending government meetings, points for having voted in the past, points for family history in the country, etc. that all weight your vote. We currently have a quantitative voting system that totally voids all quality. It is precisely why politicians don't have to perform, because they are not being evaluated on quality, but rather the quantity of voters they can baby and hand hold to stuff the ballot boxes with.

Re: Data and Machine Learning to Get Out the Vote

#4

Post by Agustus »

"The VoteWithMe app provides you with the top 10 contacts from your address book who we're worried won't turn out to vote."

Earlier in the line it is: "based on the likelihood that they support progressive candidates"

So, we have a group claiming to be civic minded, but will only encourage the "correct" individuals in your phone book to vote; those individuals who are not supporting the correct candidates, we will not encourage them to vote.

These guys probably have access to the Obama Path to Victory database or something similar and are using this to engage contacts through direct interaction.

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