Motivote is Increasing Voter Turnout with Point-System Incentives
Motivote encourages people to vote through points.
Sometimes people just need a little encouragement to vote and that’s exactly what Motivote is. Motivote rewards its users when they do things that are more likely to lead them to vote, such as checking one’s voter registration status or making a plan to vote.
The points earned can be used in Motivote’s Prize Store, where users can use their points to enter to win rewards from brands. The prizes range from discount codes, gift cards and merchandise.
Motivote started as a graduate school project at NYU in 2017. Co-Founders Jess Riegel and Rachel Konowitz were asked to create a case for a social venture, which led the women to dig into the psychology of voter registration.
While working on this project, Riegel noticed how out of tune she was with most elections because she had never voted outside of a non-presidential election.
Co-Founders Rachel Konowitz (L) and Jess Riegel (R). (Picture by Elena Haskins)
“I just never prioritized it,” said Riegel. She admits that we all could use some support when it comes to getting out there and voting.
On the other hand, Konowitz worked as a student organizer on issues such as voter registration. Konowitz wanted a new way to get people encouraged to vote and through their collaboration, Motivote was born.
In 2018, they conducted early testing with 3,000 people. According to Riegel, they saw “strong early results” that pushed them to take their idea from a class project to a real platform.
This is the first presidential election cycle for Motivote and a lot of their vote focuses on youth voter turnout. Riegel encourages youth to think of the bigger impact when they aren’t feeling either candidate.
“In a lot ways, your individual vote doesn’t matter, but we have to think about that group effect,” Riegel said. “When more people vote in every election, at every level, that drives change.”
Along with providing incentives for its users, Motivote is looking to partner with more businesses for their Prize Store. As a Prize Store partner, brands can showcase their commitment to helping voters while also getting the attention of Motivote’s national network of voters.
Motivote will be activating voters on more than 150 college campuses nationwide through partners like Hillel and Earth Day Network.
Those interested in submitting a prize for the Prize Store should reach out to Jess Riegel via email at jess@motivote.us. For more information on Motivote, click here.