We’re always interested to see what happens on election day, and 2020 is shaping up to be quite an event! If you’re feeling a little behind and want to catch up on the who’s who and what’s what of the political races, we’ve got some helpful apps for you!
Our options today come in pairs: the first two are summary services that provide an overview of current candidates and delineate their stances on a list of important topics. It’s the type of information you’d be likely to find in a nonpartisan info pamphlet the day of the election.
The second two are news outlets. Why? There are surprisingly few apps for polling services, and most of the ones that do exist were created specifically for prior elections, especially 2016. If you’re looking for real-time information, these are the places to go.
Best election apps
’20 Matters
The front page of ’20 Matters has a helpful menu with links to both political parties’ contenders, recent polling data from multiple sources, information on local elections, settings for the user interface, and an “about this app” button. The latter gives information on how they gather data. If you’re interested in knowing more, go there!
For first-timers looking to inform themselves, we recommend heading into the party lists:
Here in the Democratic section – the first by alphabetical order – you’ll find the current candidates. You may notice they’re not in alphabetical order: the app puts the frontrunners at the top:
If you click on the leading profile (Joe Biden at this time), you’ll find more information about the candidate, including biographical details of their life, along with aspects of their political views and much more (campaign videos, latest tweets, recent news).
Overall review? We believe this is the best election tracking app due to its quality data and intuitive interface.
The system updates frequently so you can stay in touch with who’s still in. And, perhaps most importantly, the negative reviews on the Apple Store were related to a bug with the app’s release, not political bias accusations. At this time, it’s clean!
PoliTalk
While it lacks a few of the amenities found in ’20 Matters, PoliTalk has good information and refreshing simplicity of design. On their main page, you’ll find all candidates (Dem, Rep, etc.) organized in alphabetical order:
When you click a profile, the app delivers a long list of their policy stances, with a summary of the most crucial views at the top, and a link to their campaign website at the bottom (if available):
We strongly believe in the importance of staying informed. While PoliTalk may not have all the information found in other apps, the simplicity may be a great introduction to the 2020 political race.
News sources
While we support the summary apps, we also recommend using them in conjunction with a news outlet for the most recent updates!
CNN
With almost five stars from 363K reviews on the Apple app store, CNN tops the charts!
The moment you step into the CNN app, they’ll have a short personalization questionnaire, where you can choose between options like “U.S.” or “World News.” From there, you can venture between their many categories:
A few more positives about the app: their search menu works well, and the “save” ability makes it easy to bookmark articles for later reading, a feature that shouldn’t go ignored. All in all, it’s a well-rounded application.
There are many other news apps that can give you balanced, unbiased reporting. Consider NPR and Associated Press as sources that can give you just the facts without the spin. Remember, if you’re reading a news source that bangs the drum for only one side, you’re likely not getting the full picture.
It’s also worth keeping the candidates accountable by checking their statements with PolitiFact. If a candidate makes a claim, PolitiFact will cross-check their words against the truth. It may not seem like it, but the truth still matters!
After the Russian interference in 2016, we can expect an even greater disinformation campaign in 2020. It’s your civic duty to be informed on all the issues and get out to vote.
Conclusion
We get it: it’s hard to keep up with the elections. Politics can be divisive, sources need to be trustworthy, and everyday life gets in the way so easily. You’re trying to stay on top of it but work starts at 9 a.m., your cat needs to go to the vet soon, and you’re out of milk again!
These apps are quick, easy, and effective ways to keep informed on the go. Whether or not you decide to use one of them, they’re a great place to start your journey.
