Democracy Works
Democracy Works is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds voter engagement tools (TurboVote), election data APIs for technology platforms, and the Civic Alliance business coalition, serving US voters, enterprises, universities, nonprofits, and AI companies like OpenAI and Microsoft.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Democracy Works does
Democracy Works is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, that builds the digital infrastructure powering voter participation in US elections. Its core products include TurboVote, an all-in-one voter engagement platform providing registration assistance, SMS and email election reminders, sample ballots, absentee ballot request support, and polling place lookup; the Elections API, an enterprise-grade data product licensed to technology platforms covering thousands of elections at every level of government; Ballot Scout, a mail ballot tracking service using USPS intelligent mail barcodes; and the Voting Information Project, the only nationwide program that collects voting location data directly from election officials and distributes it through the Google Civic Information API at no cost to jurisdictions. The Civic Alliance, co-founded by Democracy Works and the CAA Foundation, is a nonpartisan coalition of 1,300+ member businesses supporting workplace civic engagement.
The company serves three primary constituencies: individual US voters (free TurboVote tools), enterprise and organizational partners (employers, universities, nonprofits, campaigns via customizable TurboVote integrations and the Civic Alliance), and technology platforms and AI companies (Elections API licensing to OpenAI, Anthropic, TikTok, Perplexity AI, and Microsoft). The technology stack includes Twilio for SMS, Amazon SES and MailChimp for email, Civis Analytics for voter file matching, SmartyStreets for address verification, and Zendesk for support. Schema-compliant election data web pages provide structured markup for organic search distribution.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, revenue is generated through donations and grants, supplemented by enterprise licensing of the Elections API and subscription pricing for TurboVote for Organizations. The organization's go-to-market combines product-led growth (free consumer TurboVote), enterprise field sales (large organization integrations with Microsoft as a flagship example), an API-first licensing motion to AI and platform customers, and community-led growth through the Civic Alliance coalition.
Democracy Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Democracy Works
- Legal name
- Democracy Works Inc.
- Website
- https://democracy.works
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Democracy Works is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds voter engagement tools (TurboVote), election data APIs for technology platforms, and the Civic Alliance business coalition, serving US voters, enterprises, universities, nonprofits, and AI companies like OpenAI and Microsoft.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Democracy Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Democracy Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Democracy Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Revenue comes from donations and grants that support the organization's mission to provide free voter engagement tools. The organization publishes Form 990 financial statements publicly.
- Elections API Enterprise Licensing: Enterprise-grade Elections API licensed to technology platforms and organizations. The website mentions 'Contact us for access and pricing information' indicating B2B pricing for the data API. Trusted by TikTok, Perplexity AI, Anthropic, and OpenAI for providing election information.
- TurboVote Platform for Organizations: Organizations pay for or access TurboVote premium features and customization. The platform offers flexible integration with customizable branding options for partners, with implementation requiring no technical expertise.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free voter engagement tools for individual voters |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise Elections API with custom pricing |
| Subscription | Annual | TurboVote for Organizations |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Democracy Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Democracy Works builds and operates a suite of voter engagement software tools centered on TurboVote, an all-in-one platform for voter registration, election reminders, sample ballots, and polling place lookup. The organization also licenses an enterprise-grade Elections API to technology platforms, runs the Voting Information Project to collect official election data from government sources, and offers Ballot Scout for mail ballot tracking.
Product overview
Democracy Works is a nonpartisan nonprofit that provides a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on TurboVote, an all-in-one voter engagement platform, supported by the Elections API for enterprise data distribution, the Voting Information Project for official data collection, and Ballot Scout for mail ballot tracking. The Civic Alliance coalition program engages businesses in civic engagement. The company builds the digital infrastructure that powers participation in US democracy by collecting and distributing accurate election information through their tools, API, and partnerships with major platforms including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, TikTok, and Perplexity AI.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TurboVote: A voter engagement platform that provides personalized support throughout the entire voting journey, helping voters register, stay informed, and make a plan to vote.
- Voting Information Project
- Civic Alliance
- Elections API
- Ballot Scout
Products and services
- TurboVote An all-in-one voter engagement platform providing personalized support throughout the entire voting journey, from registration to casting a ballot. Features include election reminders via SMS and email, personalized sample ballots, voter registration assistance (online and by mail), absentee ballot request help, and polling place lookups. Free for individual voters; offered with customizable branding for partner organizations.
- Elections API Enterprise-grade election data API covering thousands of elections at every level of government. Provides official election data including voting locations, ballot information, voter registration support, and voter ID requirements to power voter information features on third-party platforms. Licensed to technology platforms including TikTok, Perplexity AI, Anthropic, and OpenAI to combat misinformation and power voter engagement features.
- Voting Information Project The only nationwide program that collects voting location data directly from election officials and distributes it to voters through the Google Civic Information API, major platforms, and trusted civic organizations at no cost to participating jurisdictions.
- Civic Alliance A nonpartisan coalition co-founded by Democracy Works and the CAA Foundation providing 1,300+ member businesses with resources, support, and community to make civic engagement a cornerstone of their workplace culture.
- Ballot Scout
Quantifiable outcome
- 79% voter turnout among TurboVote registered users in 2024 General Election, vs 71% national rate
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Democracy Works
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Democracy Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability2 records
Feature9 records
Democracy Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- OpenAIcorePartnership to provide accurate, reliable US election information through ChatGPT. Democracy Works provides voting registration and logistics information including voting locations and registration processes to US users. This is a flagship partnership for election integrity ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- The Associated PresscorePartnership with OpenAI (not directly with Democracy Works) to display live election counts in the US and Brazil during election night. Democracy Works is partnered separately with OpenAI for voter information.
- AnthropiccorePartnership established in 2024 to provide reliable election information through AI platforms, marking early leadership in providing election data to the AI space.
- TikTokcoreUses Elections API to power voter information features, helping combat misinformation on the platform with accurate official election data.
- Perplexity AIcoreUses Elections API to provide accurate election information to users of the AI-powered search engine.
- Google Civic Information APIcoreVoting Information Project distributes official voting location data through the Google Civic Information API at no cost to participating jurisdictions, reaching voters through Google Search.
- MicrosoftcoreComprehensive TurboVote integration across Microsoft's digital ecosystem including Xbox, Microsoft.com homepage, Windows search, and internal Civic Engagement Hub. Hundreds of thousands of impressions across 26 campaigns in 2024 election cycle.
- HeadCountcoreNonprofit partner that drives democracy participation through music and pop culture, embedding TurboVote at concerts and online. Generated 330,417 voter actions and 53,983 registrations with Propeller partnership in 2024.
- PropellercoreImpact marketing company that integrated TurboVote into fan engagement campaigns for major artists. Users earned points for voter registration actions, generating hundreds of thousands of voter actions.
- Vot-ERcoreHealthcare civic engagement nonprofit integrating TurboVote to reach patients. Achieved 79% turnout rate for registered voters, 86.8% for first-time voters in 2024. Reached all 50 states and D.C.
- National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)coreUses TurboVote for Our Homes, Our Votes campaign to mobilize lower-income renters and housing advocates. Engaged thousands of voters nationwide including young people with critical stake in affordable housing.
- Civic AlliancecoreNonpartisan coalition co-founded by Democracy Works and CAA Foundation providing 1,300+ member businesses with resources and support for workplace civic engagement. Democracy Works co-founded and operates this program.
- Illinois State UniversitycoreUsed TurboVote to engage students in McLean County and Bloomington City elections. Organized community events, integrated TurboVote into digital platforms, and achieved high voter engagement for local elections.
- Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (SLSVC)coreNational Voter Registration Week coordination with TurboVote providing infrastructure. Platform provides national moment that brings organizations together for voter engagement campaigns.
- Voting Information Project PartnerscoreWorking directly with election officials nationwide to collect and publish official information on polling locations, dates, deadlines, and ballot information. Distributes data through Google and other platforms at no cost to jurisdictions.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Democracy Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rock the Vote: Rock the Vote is a longstanding nonpartisan nonprofit focused on voter registration and civic engagement, particularly among young voters. It overlaps directly with Democracy Works' TurboVote user base and nonprofit-driven GTM model.
- Vote.org: Vote.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating one of the largest online voter registration and election information platforms in the US, directly comparable to Democracy Works' TurboVote in mission, consumer audience, and product offering.
- HeadCount: HeadCount is a nonprofit that drives voter registration through music and live events; it is both a partner and a comparable organization to Democracy Works' TurboVote, sharing the same voter engagement mission and target demographic.
- When We All Vote: When We All Vote is a nonpartisan voter engagement nonprofit focused on registration and turnout, particularly among underrepresented communities. It directly competes with Democracy Works for nonprofit partnerships and civic engagement mindshare.
- Vot-ER: Vot-ER is a nonprofit integrating civic engagement into healthcare settings using TurboVote and its own infrastructure. As a documented partner of Democracy Works with parallel mission, it serves as a directly comparable peer in voter engagement and turnout work.
- Ballotpedia: Ballotpedia is a nonprofit, nonpartisan digital encyclopedia providing comprehensive election information across all US jurisdictions — comparable to Democracy Works' Voting Information Project and Elections API in the breadth and depth of election data coverage.
- League of Women Voters: League of Women Voters is a historic nonpartisan civic organization providing voter registration, education, and election information services nationwide. It competes with Democracy Works for nonprofit partnerships, volunteer networks, and voter education mindshare.
Others
- National Conference on Citizenship: National Conference on Citizenship is a nonprofit civic research and engagement organization. It is adjacent to Democracy Works' mission around civic participation, though it focuses more on research and convening than direct voter tooling.
Emerging players
- Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (SLSVC): SLSVC is a nonprofit coalition coordinating campus civic engagement, including National Voter Registration Week. As a documented Democracy Works partner, it is comparable in mission and overlapping in student voter engagement focus.
Broad incumbents
- Google Civic Information API: Google's Civic Information API distributes election data (including Voting Information Project data) to power civic features across Google's products. It is both a distribution partner and a broad incumbent that overlaps with Democracy Works' data distribution function at greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Democracy Works social profiles
Digital presenceDemocracy Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Democracy Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Democracy Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Democracy Works M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Democracy Works
What does Democracy Works do?
Democracy Works builds and operates a suite of voter engagement software tools centered on TurboVote, an all-in-one platform for voter registration, election reminders, sample ballots, and polling place lookup. The organization also licenses an enterprise-grade Elections API to technology platforms, runs the Voting Information Project to collect official election data from government sources, and offers Ballot Scout for mail ballot tracking.
Is Democracy Works a public or private company?
Democracy Works is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Democracy Works founded?
Democracy Works was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Democracy Works based?
Democracy Works is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Democracy Works make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are elections API Enterprise Licensing and turboVote Platform for Organizations.
Who are Democracy Works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rock the Vote, Vote.org, HeadCount, When We All Vote, Vot-ER, Ballotpedia and League of Women Voters. National Conference on Citizenship is listed as an others. Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (SLSVC) is listed as an emerging player. Google Civic Information API is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Democracy Works have an API?
Yes. Enterprise-grade election data API covering thousands of elections at every level of government. Trusted by TikTok, Perplexity AI, and other leading platforms to power innovative voter information features and combat misinformation. Includes all upcoming federal, state, county, municipal, sub-municipal, and school board elections for jurisdictions over 5,000 people, as well as voting locations, ballot information, voter registration support, and voter ID requirements. Powers OpenAI's ChatGPT with accurate, reliable US election information. Developer documentation is at www.democracy.works/elections-api.