By Javon Anthony Lloyd | New Pelican Writer
For more than two decades, Gino Herring served as the voter education director for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office, a position responsible for community outreach throughout local, state and national election cycles.
It was also during that time that Herring came to understand the hardships and challenges many constituents face when participating in elections. From misinformation on social media to voting barriers and a decline in voter enthusiasm, Herring knew that although the work he did was pivotal, he was limited as far as what he could do as a non-partisan, public sector employee.
“There were a lot of great things we, as a collective group, were able to accomplish at the elections office,” said Herring. “From seeing people showing up to the polls in large numbers to working tirelessly to increasing voter registration numbers, it made me realize just how much elections impact our everyday lives. However, I was also able to see firsthand some of the pain points that needed to be addressed, such as additional resources and more funding for offices that handle elections.”
An entrepreneur at heart, Herring left the elections office in 2020 and later made the decision to enroll in Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Tech Runway entrepreneurship program.
While participating in the program, he came up with an idea to create a mobile app that could help both voters and political candidates navigate the complexities that come with elections – some of the same complexities he witnessed as an elections official. Soon after, the app was eventually given a name, Best Candidate.
Once fully developed, Herring says the app will serve as an online platform where users can easily access key election information, including voting locations, sample ballots and candidate profiles. The app is also being marketed to those who decide to run for office, with plans to give actual candidates the ability to manage their campaigns, raise money, conduct outreach efforts and handle social media – all from the palm of their hands.
“I knew it was important for me to glean on my years of experience in order to make Best Candidate something that could not only be used to educate the public, but above all, serve as an ethical platform,” said Herring. “We’re still in the beta phase right now, but it’s important that we get it right before launching.”
Dr. Louise Ball, a retired social studies curriculum director for Broward County Public Schools, alongside several students from FAU, collaborated with Herring on the development of Best Candidate.
She also often partnered with Herring on youth engagement and local high school voter registration drives and says that the app is something that is definitely needed.
“I think that Best Candidate is going to serve as a critical, comprehensive tool that can be used to provide information directly to voters,” said Dr. Ball. “Whether it’s someone who wants to serve on city council, run for a school board seat or be elected as a county commissioner, people deserve to have access to every resource that will allow them to make the best decision.”
Data provided by the Broward County Supervisor of Elections shows that out of the 1,267,186 individuals eligible to vote in the 2020 general election, more than 964,000 or 76 percent of eligible voters participated.
That number fell drastically to just 48.1 percent in 2022, with only 48 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots. On a local level, districts in areas such as Deerfield Beach, North Lauderdale, and Miramar saw voter turnout as low as 10 percent for the municipal elections in 2023.
Leyla Mamonvil, who recently graduated from FAU with a degree in business administration, worked with Herring to conduct research in order to support the app’s development. As she interviewed fellow students and others, there were several common reasons as to why many people viewed the issue of elections in a negative light, including the age of many candidates and them not being in touch with the issues they cared about.
“I heard so many people say they felt their vote wouldn’t make a difference either way,” says Mamonvil. “To be honest, it was pretty disheartening, especially when individuals would tell me that they couldn’t even debate political issues in their very own household due to a fear of being judged or misunderstood.”
Herring says that despite negative stories often headlining news outlets throughout the nation, he sees Best Candidate as a platform that can bring people together. Plans for the app also include the creation of an online community forum that will be monitored to ensure accurate information is being shared.
“Our nation is becoming more polarized than ever before,” said Herring. “We’re just trying to do our part by giving users the ability to make sound choices about those who impact policy.”
Visit bestcandidate.net to sign up.
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