Current Events > People are getting triggered by an app that lets users see contacts vote records

(+) Yeah! (+)

Vote With me lets you check out the political party of every contact in your phone. This is based on publicly available databases that already exist but can sometimes be difficult to get access to depending on the state. The app also collects your phone number and adds it to the existing database, which is unfortunate. How can this be legal? Voting information in the US is public and the company running this is non-profit as to comply with existing legal frameworks.

Here is the article:

A new app wants to help get the word out to vote in the upcoming midterm elections but there's one feature that could feel a little invasive.

The app, called Vote With Me, provides helpful information about the elections taking place in your district, lets you know whether a race is tight, and shows you how to prepare for Election Day.

But the app also pulls your voter registration and voting record, and that same information from anyone in your phone's contacts, allowing you to see which political party your friends are registered with.

The point of this, Vote With Me says, is so that you can reach out to friends who are registered in states and districts with important races and encourage them to vote.

Source/More Reading
https://www.thisisinsider.com/vote-with-me-shows-contacts-voting-record-2018-10

Where do you stand on all of this? Do you think voting records should be a public matter? Do you think that this app is doing anything wrong by being able to provide voting records in this manner?
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Lmao that just sounds like a recipe for disaster

be a public
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Menardii posted...

Lmao that just sounds like a recipe for disaster

Yeah I could see this causing some people to get upset at their coworkers or family.
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I actually got something in the mail that listed my voter participation rate and some of my neighbors' rates too. I found that a little creepy and am not sure how that encourages me to vote. This app sounds way worse, though.
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its fine
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This sounds like doxxing, but with a political twist.
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At the height of political tension, let's reveal people's voting records!

There's no concerted effort to keep us divided against each other for the benefit of those holding power though.
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VectorChaos posted...

At the height of political tension, let's reveal people's voting records!

There's no concerted effort to keep us divided against each other for the benefit of those holding power though.

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I personally dont care if people see how I vote. Reminds me of the Dave Chappelle bit about white people being super secretive about their voting record.
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The only reason for this to exist is for Republicans to clutch their pearls over knowing a Democrat.
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No, that just invites intimidation. Employers could fire people that didnt vote the way they wanted.

Take a corporation like Wal-Mart, they could single handedly control the political world.

I remember one employer that was threatening to close his business if Obama won the election. He sent out an email telling people to vote for Mitt Romney. I dont know if he actually followed through with it.
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BLAKUboy posted...

The only reason for this to exist is for Republicans to clutch their pearls over knowing a Democrat.

I mean... it's both ways dude.
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Nomadic View posted...

No, that just invites intimidation. Employers could fire people that didnt vote the way they wanted.

Take a corporation like Wal-Mart, they could single handedly control the political world.

I remember one employer that was threatening to close his business if Obama won the election. He sent out an email telling people to vote for Mitt Romney. I dont know if he actually followed through with it.

lmao, great business acumen
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you can just look this all up on your secretary of states website which I do anyway so I guess thats why it doesnt bother me

I also check to see who you've donated to, if you donate to politicians
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Most people don't really bother doing that unless they're working in that sector.
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While I totes get the need for anonymity with voting, if it was public then fraud would not workz
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Is this just if you registered with a certain party? My registration didn't ask me to register for a party. I live in Indiana.
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EndOfDiscOne posted...

Is this just if you registered with a certain party? My registration didn't ask me to register for a party. I live in Indiana.

It will say what elections you've voted in and which primary you voted in, if you voted in primaries

I assume
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Smashingpmkns posted...

I personally dont care if people see how I vote. Reminds me of the Dave Chappelle bit about white people being super secretive about their voting record.

Thought of this as well lol
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After an election I don't see why not.

Maybe like six months after.
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EndOfDiscOne posted...

Is this just if you registered with a certain party? My registration didn't ask me to register for a party. I live in Indiana.

In some states you must register for a party in order to vote during certain elections- this is most frequently used during primaries (bernie vs hillary, etc) IIRC.

I'm not sure how they would go about classifying people otherwise.
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All so the lefties can pester and harass even more people, sigh
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Kavanaugh462 posted...

All so the lefties can pester and harass even more people, sigh

found the russian bot sent to divide us.

hey comrade, shut the fuck up.
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Found the NPC sent to annoy us!^
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NurseRedHeart posted...

Found the NPC sent to annoy us!^

found the bot's alt. at least get your post count into the double digits before it's field ready lol.
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christ this is a disaster waiting to happen
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Lol, can't wait for my wife's family to find out which elections I didn't vote in
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Master_Bass posted...

I actually got something in the mail that listed my voter participation rate and some of my neighbors' rates too. I found that a little creepy and am not sure how that encourages me to vote. This app sounds way worse, though.

It get it. If you disagree with some of the views of your neighbors and see that they're way more consistent than you at going to the polls, those numbers are a wake up call to get out and even the playing field. Hopefully it'll also get some people in your neighborhood to be more targeted in their canvasing, finding those people who aren't as likely to vote and motivating them to get out there. Or maybe you can offer that person some help like babysitting or carpooling so they can get out there.

In theory, it could be quite helpful sharing that information.
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I'm pretty sure party registration is already public in my state. Full blown voting record seems like a breach of privacy for anyone other than elected officials.

This is gonna ruin public life more than upvoting ruined Reddit
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Space_Man posted...

I'm pretty sure party registration is already public in my state. Full blown voting record seems like a breach of privacy for anyone other than elected officials.

This is gonna ruin public life more than upvoting ruined Reddit

Yeah, I agree on matters of like referendums or constitutional amendments.

But public disclosure of who you voted for office seems fair.
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doesn't really matter to me
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This will probably end with violence from both sides
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gmanthebest posted...

This will probably end with violence from both sides

Probably wont change anything whatsoever
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I'm pretty sure "voting record" is just whether you voted.
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gmanthebest posted...

This will probably end with violence from both sides

Doesn't matter, only one side has a body count
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I just downloaded it and it only shows which party people are registered to, which elections they voted in (but not who they voted for) and upcoming elections for that individual
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meh its already being stolen all the damn time anyway, and the state players all know

i struggle to care whether my friends have an easier time finding out i am a democrat
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ThyCorndog posted...

I just downloaded it and it only shows which party people are registered to, which elections they voted in (but not who they voted for) and upcoming elections for that individual

Yup, that's basically what is in the article and OP. I didn't intend to deceive anyone by making this topic.

Party affiliation is a big deal to some people nonetheless.
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Darkman124 posted...

meh its already being stolen all the damn time anyway, and the state players all know

i struggle to care whether my friends have an easier time finding out i am a democrat

Yeah everyone that I keep in my contacts on my phone knows about my voting preferences at this point. If they asked I wouldn't feel ashamed of it and keep it a secret.
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I think the most important thing it shows is whether or not this person voted in the last midterms. That's what it's really prioritizing. Also, it can't identify someone unless there's an address tied to that contact, because they have to be able to verify a particular contact is in a particular state.

Oklahoma is looking somewhat likely to elect a replacement Mary Fallin, which is appalling because she's the person who over saw the state during our current budget crisis. I'm legit shocked. But I'm also happy I looked at this, because I assumed no one could make that mistake twice and I was clearly deluding myself.
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Darkman124 posted...

i struggle to care whether my friends have an easier time finding out i am a democrat

I would imagine that most people's lives wouldn't be affected too much, if their voting record closely resembles that of their friends, family, employer and such. Some people can handle stark differences in party affiliation, while others... not so much.

Out of curiosity, I guess because you don't seem bothered by it, do you keep close ties with voters who span a wide range of diverse political thought?
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Lorenzo_2003 posted...

Out of curiosity, I guess because you don't seem bothered by it, do you keep close ties with voters who span a wide range of diverse political thought?

yeah

my best friend is a conservative and very into gun culture. socially liberal on other topics.

i have a handful of friends who are anti-abortion, not many, and basically none who think LGBT individuals don't deserve rights (although one who doesn't agree with gay marriage, but does think they should be allowed the legal rights associated)

there's plenty of people who echo my personal sentiments on economics, government representation, etc. we don't have a ton to talk about wrt politics because we already agree. the topic of representation is one of interest to my more moderate/conservative friends, though, who mostly didnt think about it until recently

no 'genuine trump supporters' mostly concerned about immigration and nationalism in my life, though.
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Darkman124 posted...


Ah, I see. Thanks for sharing.

Not gonna lie, my circle seems to be more politically wide than what most people, maybe including yourself, would be comfortable with. I'm talking polar opposites, so it does present a bit of a juggling act that I do, in order to keep people's tempers from flaring up.
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yeah my mother in law is the one trump supporter in our circle, and she has been told by most of her family to not bring up pizzagate, Qanon, etc. we have accepted she won't listen to us, and she accepts that we won't listen to her

but when she's not present, political discussion in my circle includes all people who all live in the real world
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Darkman124 posted...

but when she's not present, political discussion in my circle includes all people who all live in the real world

Yeah, that's a pretty accurate representation of how this usually happens in my experience as well.
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