VoterCat

Imagine transforming your civic duty into an engaging and rewarding adventure! With VoterCat, the voting process becomes an exciting quest where you can earn XP, level up, and unlock unique badges.

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Inspiration 🌟

When I volunteered for a voting campaign years ago, I made phone calls 📞 encouraging people to make a voting plan, guiding them step-by-step. I was told that formulating a voting plan increased turnout, and when I did my research, indeed it did! I decided that I would create something that helps people formulate voting plans.

For an example of successful gamification of an otherwise boring task, I looked to Duolingo. That bird 🐦 and his chests and badges gave me a 300+ day streak of learning Spanish 🇪🇸 so he must be doing something right.

What it does 🎯

VoterCat guides you through each phase of voting—from registration 📝 to staying informed on issues 📚, to casting your ballot 🗳️—making the process seamless and enjoyable. As you progress, you’ll gain XP and levels, celebrating your milestones with badges 🎖️ that highlight your commitment to civic engagement. Whether you’re a first-time voter or a seasoned participant, VoterCat turns voting into a fun, interactive journey that rewards you for making a difference.

How we built it 🛠️

The app is built on a MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) and uses JWT for authentication. Sprites were created using Aseprite.

Challenges we ran into 🚧

It's an ambitious project with 2 days and 1 developer. These two days involved many context switches as I toggled between research, design, and development tasks.

Accomplishments that we're proud of 🎉

I have made pixel cats 🐱 (nice)

What we learned 📚

Choose MVP features carefully! Don't be too ambitious, humans need sleep 💤.

What's next for VoterCat 🚀

  1. Choosing your avatar

    • Select your favorite cat 🐾

  2. Side quests!

    • Share your plan on social media for extra achievements 📣
    • Encourage your friends and family to vote and get rewarded with XP! 🎁

  3. Edit your profile

    • Edit your avatar, username, and more! ✏️
    • Moved? Update your state in your profile! 🏠

  4. Step-by-step checklist for each mission

  5. complete all items to complete the mission!

  6. Detailed guidance based on your state

    • Early voting options 📅
    • When and where to vote 📍

  7. Reminders and Notifications 🔔

  8. Animations! 🎨

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