TEMPLATE-base-repo

Boston Voter App

Collaborators:

• Arshnoor Kaur Chadha; Github: @arshnoorKC13
• Eleanor Elkus; Github: @eelkus01
• Jason Jiang; Github: @jasonjiang9142

Description

The Boston Voter App addresses the lack of accessible information about voting logistics and candidates in municipal elections in Boston. This progressive web application centralizes all vital voting information to increase voter turnout, particularly focusing on BIPOC voters who face significant barriers to voting in local elections.

Problem Statement

Many news organizations provide articles or voting guides around the election, but they are often difficult to find, last minute, and represent a narrow perspective around candidates. Additionally, most election resources are around larger races with little coverage or few resources available for local elections, where candidates have the potential to impact people’s lives more directly. BIPOC voters often have the lowest voting rates, especially in municipal elections, for a variety of reasons including lack of information and logistical barriers such as work hours and family duties. This project aims to remedy that for BIPOC voters in Boston.

Solution

The Boston Voter App provides a comprehensive solution by offering:

• Centralized voting information for Boston municipal elections.
• Detailed candidate profiles, including information about them and ballot initiatives.
• Voting logistics, including polling locations and hours.
• Features to find the nearest polling booth locations.
• Information about upcoming elections.
• Tools and resources to help voters navigate logistical barriers, ultimately aiming to increase BIPOC voter turnout.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/BU-Spark/pitne-voter-app.git
   cd pitne-voter-app 

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Navigate to the client directory, install dependencies, and start client server

   cd client
   npm install
   npm run dev

4. On another terminal, navigate to the server directory and install dependencies:

   cd server
   npm install

5. On another terminal, navigate to the Strapi directory and install dependencies:

   cd strapi 
   npm install
   

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the server directory (cd server) and add the following environment variables:

GOOGLE_CIVIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Deployment

Access our deployed website here or https://bostonvoter.com/.

Collaborators

• Arshnoor Kaur Chadha - Github: @arshnoorKC13
• Elenaor Elkus - Github: @eelkus01
• Jason Jiang - Github: @jasonjiang9142

SnapShots

Ability to see Upcoming Elections from Strapi CMS input

Comprehensive List of all possible Voting Options, including direct links from government websites

Ability to see information about candidates for a selected election and district number

Ability to information for all polling locations in Boston and nearest ones for a given address