Democracy Works is a nonprofit corporation that promotes the use of technology to increase voter participation. The group also provides information on candidates, voting precinct locations, and means of transportation for voters who need it. The main component to Democracy Works is a project called TurboVote, which was launched in 2012. ^{1 2} The groups major donors are prominent left-of-center private foundations, such as the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Democracy Fund, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. ³

Democracy Works is a member of Bridge Alliance, a left-leaning social welfare coalition that supports numerous left-of-center election reform policies and is partnered with the left-of-center PAC Unite America. ⁴

TurboVote

TurboVote is a project of Democracy Works that assists various communities with voter registration. Multiple industries such as higher education, business, and social media have partnered with TurboVote.

TurboVote has partnered with universities across the United States promoting voter registration and candidate information. ^{5 6 7} In an email to the student body, Seton Hall University Dean of Students Karen Van Vorman stressed the importance of voting even in non-presidential elections and cautioned the students against biased media. Seton Hall University is one of many universities who have partnered with TurboVote and Van Vorman said that the student body’s voting participation increased with the partnership. ⁸

TubroVote also utilizes its social media platforms to update users and followers on voting information that may apply nationally such as voting dates, debates to watch, and changes in voting processes due to national or international conflict. In March 2020, the international pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) caused mass quarantines across the United States and forced citizens to alter their means of voting. ^{9 10}

In 2016, Starbucks Corporation partnered with TurboVote in efforts to encourage Starbucks employees and customers to vote. In September 2016, Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz said at a “Turn Up the Vote” party in New York that America “has been built not only on our democracy, but on participation.” Shultz’s comments were part of his message to the crowd and online viewers that the partnership with TurboVote was meant to increase voter engagement across the United States. ¹¹ Starbucks continues to partner with TurboVote while ensuring their employees are able to vote. In the past Starbucks has provided a free cup of coffee for customers who have voted on election days. ^{12 13}

Facebook and Twitter have both turned to TurboVote to lead the social media platforms’ voter registration efforts. In March 2019, the National Association of Secretaries of State urged Facebook and Twitter to cease partnerships with third-party voter registration organizations. NASS claimed that third-party organizations failed to properly register their consumers and process their votes resulting in significant challenges to the election community, while not citing Facebook or Twitter specifically. NASS also claimed that Facebook and Twitter did not have sufficient safeguards in place to combat misinformation. ^{14 15} In June 2019, NASS hosted TurboVote at the Nass 2019 Summer Conference where Democracy Works co-founder Kathryn Peters presented on the importance of bringing election information and voter accessibility to citizens. ^{16 17}

The TurboVote Challenge, adopted in 2016, is an effort to see an 80% voter turnout by 2024. The initiative includes major brands who partner with Democracy Works to increase the amount of users on TurboVote. Brand partners include Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, SNAP Inc, Google, Instagram, Microsoft, MTV, BET Network, Salesforce, Starbucks, and others. ^{18 19}

Voting Information Project

Also see Voting Information Project (Project)

While TurboVote focuses on voter registration and participation, Democracy Works’ Voting Information Project (VIP) provides users with locations for voting and information on their region’s ballot. ²⁰ VIP is included in the toolkit for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. ²¹ The VIP was operated by Pew Charitable Trusts before becoming a project with Democracy Works.

Funding

Democracy Works’ major donors include the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Democracy Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Quadrivium Foundation, and Luminate. ²² Other organizations that have donated to Democracy Works in the past are the Miami Foundation, the Omidyar Network Fund, and Open Society Foundations. ²³

Leadership

Luiz Lozada is the CEO of Democracy Works.²⁴ Joining the company in 2020, he initially served as general consul before being selected as interim CEO by the Board of Directors in December 2021. He was officially appointed to the position in April 2022. ²⁵

Seth Flaxman is a co-founder and former executive director of Democracy Works. He earned a Master of Public Policy in internet studies from Harvard University in 2011 and was selected as one of Forbes’ “30 under 30” for law and policy in 2011. ^{26 27} As of March 2023, his LinkedIn profile lists him as the president of Flaxman Strategies, a registered domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC) in New York State, which he has held since January 2022. ^{28 29}

LaTisha Steele is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Democracy Works, as of March 2023. ³⁰ Steele is a co-founder of Decker Steele & Associates, a digital advertising and marketing firm. ³¹

Kathryn Peters is a co-founder and the former COO of Democracy Works. During her time at Democracy Works, she was the lead developer for TurboVote. She earned a Master of Public Policy in International and Global affairs from Harvard University in 2011. ³² In July 2020, Peters became executive director of the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP), a division of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill dedicated to researching digital information and its impact on politics. ³³

Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, was formerly listed as a member of the Democracy Works board of directors as of September 2020.³⁴ As of March 2023 his name no longer appears amongst the board of directors on the company’s website. ³⁵

1. Ballou-Aares, Daniella, and Vineeta Vijayaraghavan. “How Business Leaders Can Champion Democracy.” Harvard Business Review, March 17, 2020. https://hbr.org/2020/03/how-business-leaders-can-champion-democracy.
2. O’Neil, Jackie. “StanfordVotes Initiatives Increase Voting Accessibility, Engagement.” The Stanford Daily, February 28, 2020. https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/02/27/voting-accessibility-engagement-increase-under-new-stanfordvotes-initiatives/.
3. “About.” Accessed April 30, 2020. https://www.democracy.works/about/.
4. “All Members.” Accessed April 30, 2020. https://www.bridgealliance.us/all_members.
5. Clark, Sara. “Civic Nation BrandVoice: How TurboVote Is Meeting Student Voters Where They Are.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, July 29, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/civicnation/2017/07/07/how-turbovote-is-meeting-student-voters-where-they-are/#78f532db11b8.
6. “Register to Vote.” Seton Hall University, October 23, 2017. https://www.shu.edu/student-government/register-to-vote.cfm.
7. “New Partnership Allows Students to Vote in Every Election.” The University of Alabama, September 24, 2018. https://www.ua.edu/news/2018/09/new-partnership-allows-students-to-vote-in-every-election/.
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23. Information provided by Foundation Search. Center for Climate and Security. www.FoundationSearch.org.
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