DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

Problem Statement

 

In every recent election the turnout of student voters has been hindered by their lack of information. This is particularly true when out-of-state students try to vote on campus and find out that they do not have the proper documentation, or even the right to vote there. This is a problem because it stops students from contributing their voices to our democracy, thereby discouraging them from voting in the future. Our solution to this problem is the creation of a free phone application that will provide students with the information they need to vote.

 

Product Position Statement

 

Our target users are college students that want to vote. The only job asked of the user will be to install the phone application and input the state and county where he/she wants to vote.

Our system will consist of a stand-alone iPhone application which will receive dynamic information such as the candidates running for office and referendums from a website built for the application. In addition, 

 

information will be stored on the website. Since 69 percent of college students as of 2012 own smartphones (source usnews.com), we are using a pure software approach because students already possess the hardware.

To use our system, a student would install our Mobile Vote app on his/her phone, select the state and county he wants to vote in (we will start with information about Suffolk County, NY), and he will have full access to all the information he needs to vote in an upcoming election.

While there are websites where students can find this information such as the League of Women Voters or state voter information pages, there is currently no comprehensive system as mobile and as directed for students as our Mobile Vote app. In addition, no current service lets you find the location of and directions to a place where you can vote from a smartphone.

 

Users: The users of our application will be college students that want to vote. They will want to find out where they can vote, what they need to bring to the voting booth, and who is running for office/what they stand for. We expect that college students will have no trouble using our application because college students are tech savvy in general and generally know their way around a smartphone app. Plus, the tasks required of the users to access the information in our app is very small.

 

Feature List: Our Mobile Voter phone application will provide students in Suffolk County with all the information they need to vote in an election. This information will consist of:

  1. How to register to vote and when are the deadlines
  2. What documentation needs to be brought with the student to the ballot box
  3. Where the student can vote (if on campus or in another location)
  4. Directions showing the student how to get to the voting booth
  5. Information on the candidates running for office such as what they stand for, what they are against, and links to further information
  6. Information on any referendums and what they mean

Constraints:

This setup will not require the purchase of any software packages or licensing of any kind so it will be inexpensive to implement. In addition, because the application is not resource intensive, we believe it will be able to run smoothly older devices. This means that technological capabilities and cost will not restrict the use and adaptation of our application.

 

USNEWS source: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/03/21/smartphone-use-among-college-students-concerns-some-professors

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.