The Living Voters Guide is the product of collaboration among the National Science Foundation, Alan Borning and Travis Kriplean in UW Computer Science, and Lance Bennett in UW Communication and Political Science, along with the help of graduate students, and Seattle CityClub.

Below is a guest blog by Diane Douglas, Executive Director of Seattle CityClub:

With a heart full of excitement and appreciation, I’m writing to introduce you to Living Voters Guide (LVG).

Unlike other voters guides that are generated by government, newspapers or advocacy organizations, LVG is citizen-generated. Participants submit pros and cons on ballot measures to share their perspectives with others. It’s a venue for civil discourse and voter education by the people and for the people. It asks participants to pledge that they won’t make personal attacks on others, but focus on the issues. It invites everyone to wrestle with trade-offs in a deliberative path toward decision making.

The decisions we make on state ballot measures are crucial. We feel their consequences immediately and for a long time. So do our kids. That’s why we need to consider them carefully with the benefit of community wisdom in a forum that is nuanced, pluralistic and collaborative.

We built Living Voters Guide to inspire public trust in one another, to reclaim citizens’ power and shared responsibility for making our democracy work. Please explore it, give us your feedback, and if you find it useful—please share it with your family, friends, neighbors and networks during this election season.