Upvote is a technology platform that connects voters and the politicians who represent them, bypassing attack ads and rebuilding trust in democracy.
Who We Are
Founders Kasey Clary and Zack Krawiec met while interning at the Iowa state house. Going on to work for prominent Iowa politicians at the state and federal level, they became frustrated as well-funded campaigns drowned out temperate voices with TV attack ads and other divisive practices. After moving on to careers in tech and finance, respectively, they reunited in late 2022 to create Upvote.
Technology for Impact
UpVote uses a combination of artificial intelligence, “know your customer” practices borrowed from finance, and open data sources to directly connect politicians and verified constituents. This allows voters to compete on a level playing field with special interests, filters out misinformation, and empowers voters to influence political outcomes. If Upvote leads more moderates to engage in politics, it may diminish the influence of ideologues who currently participate at higher rates.
Leveraging AI
As the 2024 election cycle unfurls, artificial-intelligence-powered misinformation is expected to flood the internet, deepening distrust and confusion among voters. UpVote leverages AI to do the opposite – filter and deliver verified information. The platform combs the internet for topics based on user interest and location using APIs, takes that information and feeds it through our AI model which reads articles on the topic from across the news spectrum.
It then takes the common denominators from each article to discern what is being validated by multiple sources and writes news bites using objective language. Then it makes note of how publications on each side of the spectrum are reporting on the topic so users can understand the differing viewpoints and potential media bias.
Upvote will also simplify complex policy, letting voters behind the curtain of the political process. It will present legislation in plain language, and use a feature called “alignment score” to show people how actions taken by their representatives align with their personal beliefs and desired outcomes.
Digital political advertising spending reached an estimated $2.85 billion in 2020, and television ad spending was orders of magnitude higher.
Be the First to See New Features
You can sign up for first access as UpVote rolls out news and information features at GoUpvote.com.