Return to A LOOK DOWN DEMOCRACY ROW

BallotMaker.com
Among the startup Web sites in Democracy Row is BallotMaker.com. The employee-owned site produces custom ballots for voters in California and Colorado.

BallotMaker.com isn’t even on the Internet yet, but is trying to make a name for itself before its September 1 launch date. If all goes as planned, voters will be able to find information and advice about all of the candidates and initiatives from president to the state assembly in the two states.

“We are trying to make it easier and more fun for young people to vote,” Colleen Carden said. She is one of six employees hoping for a successful campaign season.

One way the site hopes to attract voters is by allowing a user to choose an “advisory group.” The site lists well-known interest groups and political figures, and then churns out a custom-made ballot that can be printed out on the way to the voting booth.

According to Carden, BallotMaker.com decided to focus on California and Colorado during their first election season because they are both states that traditionally carry a lot of initiatives. As a young company with $200,000 to their name, they couldn’t afford to produce a nationwide site.

Like many start-up Internet companies, they still haven’t figured out to fund the project past their initial budget. “We have been wracking our brains trying to figure out how to make money off of this,” Carden said.