MyCitizen

In June of last year, I went to vote in the NYC Primary Election fully confident in my choice for mayor. I consider myself politically engaged and well-informed. I had done my research, paid attention, and walked into the voting booth without hesitation… until I looked at the ballot.

Suddenly, I was faced with races I hadn’t even heard about. What is a Comptroller? What does a Borough President do?

I didn’t have the time to research every candidate, and the information available online was confusing and scattered. Most civic engagement websites lacked depth and usability. I realized that if navigating the ballot was this difficult for someone like me, someone who actively follows politics, it must be even more inaccessible for others.

And the most frustrating part? These lesser-known positions are often the ones that directly impact our daily lives. That’s when I knew I wanted to build something to fix that.