Enhancing Youth Voter Engagement Through a Digital Platform

Client

Motivote

Faculty

Scott Taitel

Team

Emily Graham, Rachel Konowitz, Jessica Riegel, Adam Steinberg

In the US, people between the ages of 18-29 consistently vote at lower rates than any other demographic. In response, a Capstone team created Motivote, a digital platform strategically designed to encourage voting accountability among young Americans. The Motivote team conducted a literature review, a competitor and stakeholder analysis, and administered over 100 interviews with young individuals. The findings informed the creation of Motivote’s platform, which incentivizes voting by making it fun and habit-forming through friendly competition and rewards. Users form teams and make refundable monetary pledges that are returned once the entire team has voted. The Motivote team piloted the platform during the Pennsylvania special congressional election to evaluate the feasibility of implementing it in a district-wide election. The team also piloted the platform in the Wagner Student Association election. Lessons learned from the pilots helped inform Motivote’s operational strategy, plan for scaling, and wireframe design. The team’s work culminated in a comprehensive wireframe and a robust business case, including a launch plan to be executed in the summer of 2018.

Capstone Year

2017-2018