FAQ

Democracy Technologies is an independent online magazine dedicated to digital tools developed to strengthen democracy. It was established to provide people working in politics and the democracy technology industry with in-depth information about new developments in the field of digital participation and deliberation, electronic voting, and other digital tools that improve political organisations.

Democracy-Technologies.org is a project of the Innovation in Politics Institute, a mission-driven company dedicated to strengthening democracy in Europe and beyond. Find out more about the Institute and its programmes here. 

We are an independent, non-partisan team committed to keeping pace with the latest technological developments and best practice cases from around the world. Our diverse backgrounds, ranging from philosophy to social geometry, drive our commitment to empowering individuals in politics and the democracy technology industry.

Visit our team profiles to find out more.

Our primary area of focus is on technology that is developed and/or applied with the direct aim of improving democracy. This includes three major topics:

1) Electronic voting (voting machines and online voting)

2) Digital deliberation and participation tools (e.g. online citizens’ assemblies, participatory budgets).

3) Political party technology (e.g. party apps, collective decision-making tools).

We cover technological developments in these areas as well as example use cases. Alongside regular articles, we feature “getting started” guides, industry news, interviews, and opinion pieces.

Our independently curated database contains a large selection of digital tools for citizen participation processes, i-voting, and political parties. You can filter your search by selecting specific parameters like region, software type, data functionality, and communication tools to find a range of tools suited to your needs.

No. We are not affiliated with any specific technology providers, nor do we provide reviews or otherwise evaluate specific tools. Our database is intended to give users an overview of tools available and their intended functionalities.

We believe that digital tools have vast potential to improve democracy. As the range of these tools rapidly expands, it can be difficult to maintain an overview of the latest developments. What best practices have already been established around the world? What are the most promising prospects on the horizon? We also address broader issues confronting both technology developers and political professionals, such as: What ethical questions do these technologies raise? How can the industry be responsibly regulated? Our goal is to provide a practical and unbiased point of reference for everyone interested in emerging forms of digital democracy.

We welcome contributions from experts in the field, as well as freelance journalists. Our “Opinion” section regularly features guest articles where democracy technology professionals share their views and experiences.

If you are interested in contributing to our site as a freelance journalist or guest author, we would be happy to hear from you. Please send a brief abstract of your proposed article via the contact form. For more information, see our guide for contributors.

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