About DemocracyOS
DemocracyOS asks a representative mix of residents what’s on their minds, by text, and publishes what they say in a free public report anyone can read. We started in Burlington, Vermont.
What we do
Residents register once. Every two weeks we text an open-ended question, called a Pulse Ballot, to a different representative sample of them. Our system reads every answer and turns them into the Live Report: which issues come up most, and what residents actually say about them, in their own words.
Residents, representatives and reporters all see the same report. Read the Live Report.
Why
A government can’t serve people it can’t hear. Today the public’s will is a blur: the loudest and best-connected voices are easy to hear, and everyone else is easy to ignore.
Democracy is a designed system, and what was designed can be redesigned. We want to make the honest, thoughtful will of the whole public clear, so that ignoring people becomes harder than listening to them.
What we promise
- We never spam you.Once you’re registered, we only text you about your Pulse Ballot: the invite and its reminders, your receipt, and a heads-up when the report you helped shape is out.
- Your personal data is never sold.Not to advertisers, not to campaigns, not to anyone.
- Your answers are never traced back to you.We verify that you’re a real person, then keep your identity and your answers in separate databases.
- We show who we’ve heard from.The community profile compares the people who answered with the city as a whole, gaps included.
- Funders get no say.Contributions keep the report running. They buy no influence over what it says.
- Stop anytime.Reply STOP to any text from us.
Who we are
DemocracyOS is made by DemocracyOS, Inc., a small company built in Burlington, Vermont. The Live Report is free to read, and residents keep it running with their own contributions. Contribute.
Live somewhere else? Preregister for your city. Questions? Contact us.