Like most everything these days, election processes are going through a digital transformation. Technology for determining voter eligibility, polling, registering voters, campaigning via text messages, electronic voting machines, mobile voting systems, email voting systems, blockchain voting systems, biometric identity verification at the polls, provisional ballots, mail-in ballots, vote counting, voting fraud prevention, candidate funding & financial data, ranked choice voting, and political proposal data are all the results of this digital transformation.
Developers wanting to create applications with voting functionality will need the proper APIs to satisfy their programming needs.
What is a Voting API?
A Voting API is an Application Programming Interface that developers can use to integrate with voting data, election services, and other voting related functions. The best place to discover these is in the Voting category of the ProgrammableWeb API directory.
In this article, we detail ten of the most popular Voting APIs, as determined by webpage visits to ProgrammableWeb.
1. ElectionsOnline API
ElectionsOnline provides a test voting system to increase voter participation, enable member engagement, and blend a ballot into websites for a single sign-on experience. The ElectionsOnline API retrieves voting data including elections, ballots, voter groups, positions, candidates, and rosters. Responses in JSON and XML formats.
2. We Vote API
We Vote USA is a voting technology open platform that cuts through the clutter to help users understand what is on their ballots. The We Vote API provides data about ballots, candidates, address, verification, phone number, social media sign-in (Twitter, Facebook, Google), location, position, sync out, guides, friend invitation, analytics, and language.
3. BallotReady API
BallotReady provides information for voters about every candidate and referendum on any election ballot in the USA. The BallotReady API retrieves elections, Polling places, candidates, measures, elected officials, districts, and normalized positions data.
BallotReady lets voters take election information with them into the voting booth. Image: BallotReady
4. TogaTech Free Backend US Presidential Election API
TogaTech Free Backend US Presidential Election API enables developers to access basic candidate data and accurate electoral vote numbers for the top two parties. Methods are available to get data, get metadata, get parties, get votes.
Image: TogaTech
5. Voting Information Project API
The Voting Information Project (VIP) offers technology tools to provide voters with access to customized election information to help them navigate the voting process and cast an informed vote. VIP works with election officials across the nation to ensure this information is official and reliable. The VIP API uses an open format (VIP Specification) with which state election divisions can publish their voting information and make it accessible. The API provides information on polling places, candidates, deadlines, rules and regulations and more and is formatted for XML and CSV.
6. OpaVote API
OpaVote is a secure online voting platform that makes it easy and affordable to run elections, including ranked choice elections. The OpaVote API manages online elections from a user's servers. Items include elections, polls, and counts.
7. ProPublica Campaign Finance API
ProPublica is a not-for-profit journalism organization. The ProPublica Campaign Finance API allows developers to retrieve data from U.S. Federal Election Commission filings and other sources. This data includes summary information for candidates, committees, presidential campaigns, electronic filings, electioneering communications, late contributions to candidates, lobbyist bundlers and more. The database is updated daily.
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8. AgorAPI API
Open Agora provides tools for collective decision making. The AgoraPI API provides access to a set of Polling and voting services. These include majority polling as well as more complex voting methods, such as Condorcet method, instant-runoff, or majority judgement. The API allows for management of polls and users, real time results, graphical results, veto system, and more. Each voter gets a unique identifier for casting or modifying their votes.
9. Inside Elections API
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales provides nonpartisan analysis and research for USA elections. The Inside Elections API returns XML formatted responses about seat ratings for Senate, House, governor and presidential candidates. Ratings are based on Pure Toss-up, Toss-up/Tilt Democrat, Lean Democrat, Democrat Favored, Currently Safe Democrat, Toss-up/Tilt Republican, Lean Republican, Republican Favored, Currently Safe Republican, Toss-up/Tilt Independent, Lean Independent, Independent Favored, Currently Safe Independent, and Not Up This Cycle.
10. Where Do I Vote API
Democracy Club is a UK organization that focuses on digital infrastructure for democracy. Democracy Club provides the Where Do I Vote API to enable users to find a voting station in the UK. The postcode and address endpoints find a user's Polling station based on their home address. It allows the Democracy Club's data to integrate a polling station finder into a website or application.
More Voting APIs are available in the Voting category of ProgrammableWeb, along with SDKs and other developer resources.
