Plan My Vote Tool
Calgary Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
Calgary’s 2021 municipal election brought unprecedented turnover at city hall following a tight and heated campaign period. In the lead-up, Calgary Public Library saw a gap in trusted and accurate information and launched a digital vote planning tool to drive turnout and engagement among populations with historically low participation rates.
Challenge/Opportunity
- Calgary had to elect a new mayor; almost two-thirds of wards had no incumbent councillor running; ward boundaries changed in 2020 and no voters list was created.
- The Government of Alberta included referenda questions and Senate recommendations as part of election.
- Due to pandemic, no “vote anywhere” option. A voters’ advance weekday, advance weekend, and election day polling sites could all be different.
- Complex voting processes are a large barrier for first-time youth voters, immigrants and those new to Calgary.
Key Elements of Innovation
Written vote plans have been shown to increase turnout by helping people visualize the steps they’ll take to vote, overcoming the executive function problems some new voters encounter. The Plan My Vote tool, developed in partnership with Elections Calgary, helped voters plan their vote ahead of time. After answering four questions, a personalized plan including required ID, voting location with map, directions via preferred transport method and links to all candidates and referenda questions was emailed to users.
Achieved Outcomes
- The Plan My Vote tool simplified the process for voters, reducing barriers to participation
- Resulted in a new partnership with Elections Calgary
- The app was used over 10,000 times in the three and a half weeks leading up to the election
- A significant number of prominent local figures and organizations across the political spectrum linked to the tool directly on their social media or included it in their advocacy efforts, introducing the library to communities we might not have otherwise connected with.
