The document proposes a new social media platform called Shadow Election to engage users with politics. It aims to make politics more accessible through game-like interactions like rating videos and casting virtual votes. Content from all sides of issues will be sourced to avoid ideological bubbles. The platform is designed to be shared on social networks to encourage debate and activism. It aims to increase voter turnout, especially among youth. Concerns around privacy and bias are addressed. The platform launched successfully in Finland and seeks US funding to launch for the 2012 elections.

1. A new way to connect people
with politics.
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

2. What if engaging
with politics was
as easy as using
a slider?
Did you
agree?
Slide here.
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 2

3. What if you
could see your
impact on the
debate?
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 3

4. What if your friends
could join in?
Fire up
political
debate!
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 4

5. Pinboard layout is
already familiar to
users.
Optimized
for mobile.
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 5

6. Rate
candidate
videos.
Cast a
virtual
vote.
See poll
results.
6
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

7. Traditional voting applications match policy statements to voter
opinions.
But politics is personal, social – and in perpetual motion.
Candidates’ views
evolve over time.
Video is most like meeting
the candidate in person. The issues
evolve too.
Shadow Election keeps up with changing political realities.
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 7

8. The election content we see online tends to
reflect our established views –
– and the views of people in our social networks.
8
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

9. It is the same on all sides –
– much like being inside a bubble.
9
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

10. Shadow Election
sources content from
all sides of the debate.
We encourage
users to suggest
content.
Or even
submit their
own!
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 10

11. Content is Afghanistan
drones Al Qaeda
organized
with crowd tar sands fracking
input. gas prices
Seven key
gay marriage
One Nation Under God
categories.
education vouchers
student loans Users add tags
of their own.
McJobs the 99%
investment banks
guns personhood With tagging,
lobbying new issues
emerge
Obamacare
alongside new
Medicaid
content.
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 11

12. Shadow Election is
designed for social ● Users personalize election stories
impact. when they share them with their
social networks.
● Frequently updated content and
Shareable stories friend participation builds a ‘sticky’
build communities of election narrative, drawing users
interest. back to Shadow Election.
● Communities of interest form around
election issues.
● Users drive attention to stories – not
news editors. Political influence is
democratized.
● Engagement is amplified.
12
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

13. Shadow Election is
designed for social ● Responsive environment provides
impact. visual feedback on opinion swings.
● Game-like user experience engages
Millennials. Youth turnout is
Empowering user expected to drop in 2012*.
experience promotes
activism. ● Simple rating actions support
reflective decision-making with
cumulative use. Especially in
Election Shadow Election’s non partisan
countdown! environment.
● We remind users to register and
vote. Personalized reminders can be
targeted to users when they are
most engaged.
* Curtis Gans, (2011) Center for the Study of the American
Electorate at American University
13
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

14. Debate on Facebook. See the big picture
on Shadow Election’s infographics.
Facebook friends can see Other users’ opinions are visible,
each others’ ratings and but anonymized.
Users debate content within their votes on Shadow Election.
social networks.
I agree.
I’m not sure.
My ratings.
My vote.
Our ratings.
What do
you think? Our votes.
14

15. 2012 is the right time for
Shadow Election USA.
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 15

16. Online video
Any campaign that doesn’t
will be huge in
recognize that the web is now central 2012.
to winning the election is a dinosaur
waiting to become extinct.
Andrew Rasiej
Personal Democracy Media
If television is a “nuclear bomb,” Web
video is a laser for sending target
messages to specific voters.
Thirty percent of Americans don’t watch
any live network television... but they’re
still watching video.
Ben Jacobs
The Daily Beast
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 16

17. Impact in 2012? ● Voter turnout is low but Facebook
use is high. This includes key swing
states.
Ohio
● Shadow Election activates the
5.8m on Facebook motivation to vote by engaging users
Turnout 65.5% in politics.
Pennsylvania
● Shadow Election enhances the
6.1m on Facebook ability to vote by linking to voter
Turnout 62.4% registration advice.
Florida ● Potentially trigger action by
9.4m on Facebook personalizing reminders.
Turnout 63.8%
Statista: 2008 turnout, Facebook users.
“Put hot triggers in
BJ Fogg the path of
Persuasive Technology
Stanford
motivated people“
17
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

18. Responsibility
● More Americans use Facebook* than
voted in the 2008 Elections.
“Privacy is the ● Research points to increasingly
active user management of online
ability to assert
profiles to protect privacy, even
control over a
among young people1.
social situation.“
● Users are always in control of
sharing.
● Privacy settings are clear and easy-
to-understand.
Danah Boyd
Microsoft Research ● Anonymized, aggregated Shadow
Election data will be free – for
everyone. We don’t pick sides.
* 156.1m Facebook users in the US (SocialBakers.com).
1. Pew Research Center, (2012), Privacy Management on Social
Media sites.
18m
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

19. Viral content + seamless sharing.
Online democracy, amplified.
Social Viral Social
Mission Content Networks
✔ ✔ ✔ Connects people with politics by
rating and sharing election videos.
✔ ✖ ✔ Identifies party affiliations among
members of users’ social networks.
✔ ✖ ✖ Internet-based nominating process
for 2012 primary elections.
✔ ✖ ✔
Matches voters to candidates using
online dating technology.
✖ ✔ ✖ Dedicated 2012 Election channel
with leaderboard.
✔ ✖ ✔ Get friends to participate in ‘Rucks’ –
citizen-led political actions.
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 19

20. Launched in 2011, What could we
Shadow Election is Reached 30% of the
achieve in the US?
going from strength to Finnish Facebook
strength. population in two weeks
Alpha*
during January 20121.
(Version 2)
Beta
(Version 1)
Shadow Election Election
Election Season Season
Launched
September 2012
November 2012
October 2012
January 2012
August 2012
June 2012
April 2011
July 2012
Finnish Parliamentary Elections Finnish Presidential Elections
April 2011 22 January 2012
US Presidential Elections
6 November 2012
* Funding secured.
1. Estimated. All impressions organic (not paid for by Shadow Election). 20
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

21. Kellie Hodge
The Shadow Election Director
Hello! application was built in Shadow Election USA
Reality Creating Media
Finland by Reality
Creating Media.
Duncan Goldie-Scot
Alex Keskitalo Director
CTO Shadow Election USA
Reality Creating Media Reality Creating Media
Juha Mattila
CEO
Reality Creating Media
Richard von Kaufmann
Chairman
Reality Creating Media
Maari Fabritius
Head of Brand and UX
Reality Creating Media
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 21

22. About Shadow
● Social enterprise with the mission of
Election USA. promoting online democracy in the
United States.
Kellie Hodge ● Shadow Election USA is an
Director independent organization founded in
Shadow Election USA
the USA.
● Site usage agreement protects user
data in perpetuity.
Duncan Goldie-Scot ● Shadow Election USA’s 2012
Director election project will be donor- and
Shadow Election USA
crowd-funded.
● Non-partisan. No ties to political
parties. No campaign funding.
22
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

23. 2012 Development
Roadmap with Key
Costs and delivery
Feature Costs dates are estimates.
BETA ALPHA
✔
V1.0 V1.1 V1.2 V1.3 V2.0 V2.1 V2.2 V2.3
June July August September October November
Tagging Personalized
Archi- ‘Trigger’
tecture Messages
$44k $18k $30k
✔ 3
tags User
2 Campaign
$33k 1 Dashboard
$100k Election
Countdown $14k
$10k
3m <10m >10m
$7k $35k $125k
23
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.

24. Funding will determine achievable levels
of service delivery and scaling.
Beta Alpha Scale
Budget 2012 V1.0 - V1.3 V2.0 - V2.3 10m+ users
($ thousand)
Incorporation 13.1 0.0 0.0
Administration 103.4 3.6 69.0
Marketing 23.0 0.0 2.0
Election Season Staffing 9.0 0.0 15.6
Software Development 203.2 175.4 160.6
Total (incl. 20% reserve) $421.0 $214.8 $296.6
Beta + Alpha, 10m+ users $932.4
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved. 24

25. Thank you.
We hope to
keep in
touch!
25
© 2012 by Shadow Election USA. All rights reserved.