ArcWatch: GIS News, Views, and Insights
October 2012
Mobile Application Directs Indiana Voters to Convenient Vote Centers
This free mobile mapping application helps voters in Vanderburgh County find the voting centers that are closest to where they live or work.
By using vote centers instead of traditional polling places, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, saves $85,000 each year. Citizens can cast their votes at the convenient centers (including churches and malls) as an alternative to polling places in their designated precincts.
To make voting even easier, the county offers a free mobile application that provides immediate details on the nearest vote centers, including poll hours, wait times, and directions. More than 300 people have downloaded the application onto their iPhone or Android phones, and the county expects use to grow significantly as the word spreads and major elections approach.
The county leveraged its existing geographic information system, which is based on Esri technology, to create a map service that shows all vote centers. A custom mobile application was built using Esri's ArcGIS API for Flex to support deployment on both the iPhone and Android platforms.
To promote public use of the application, the county works with local media and offers free downloads available at Apple's App Store and Google Play. Visit vanderburghvotecenters.com to access the application or view the vote centers map online.
Mobile mapping applications based on Esri technology help local governments worldwide improve operations and services to citizens. Esri technology provides a common platform for data sharing to enhance workflows, improve decision making, and facilitate communication.
"It's simple, it's easy, and it does what we need. This app is going to become more and more useful and popular as we ramp up for a busy election season," says Susan Kirk, Vanderburgh County clerk.
