From climate change to equality, financial security to housing, the opinions of Europe’s young people are often underrepresented when it comes to decision-making. Yet they will be the most affected in the long-term.
Hack4Votes is the first Brussels-based hackathon to directly tackle the issue of youth representation in EU politics by focusing on voting at the EU elections. Historically, politicians have shaped their policies to appeal to those who vote. Increasingly, this is an ageing demographic. Our big challenge: how to encourage more young people to vote so that politicians prioritise the issues they care about the most instead of focusing on the demands of older voters.
Through various challenges, participants will explore creative solutions around voting and elections. Winning projects will be presented to Brussels investors and decision-makers, with the potential for them to be developed into live products.
Who can participate?
This is a multidisciplinary hackathon. Its main goal is to foster and promote new ideas that have the potential to make a real impact on engaging young people with the voting process around the 2024 European Elections.
Our doors are open to people of all backgrounds and levels of experience, including coders, programmers, developers, civil society groups, activists, artists, creative professionals, designers, AI specialists, tech professionals, entrepreneurs, politicians, and students.
Don’t know how to code? Not a problem! We can help you form a team with experienced people who will appreciate your input and skills.
Challenges
The Hack4Votes challenges are designed to target different kinds of young voters – from the disengaged to the interested but forgetful – with different tasks.
CHALLENGE 1:
BREAKING DOWN PRACTICAL BARRIERS WITH AI
How might we use next-generation AI functions to break down the practical barriers for young people to vote in the upcoming European elections?
Many of the young, engaged voters across Europe face practical, administrative, or even mental barriers that prevent them from voting: e.g. pre-registration several months in advance, complicated procedures to remote vote in a foreign country, the cost of travelling home to where they are registered to vote, or even finding their way to the nearest voting station on the day.
How can next-generation AI functions be used so that early reminders and the necessary information are effectively delivered at the right time, in the right country, to the right people (i.e. engaged youth) to help them set themselves up to vote?
CHALLENGE 2:
COMMUNICATING CLIMATE COST
How might we show the real impact - good or bad - of European climate policy at the local level to inspire young people to vote in the European elections?
A large cohort of young people are disengaged when it comes to ‘government’ in general and voting in particular. One reason for this is that communications do not speak to their values (positive, future-focused and esteem-driven). Young voters feel more strongly than others about climate change. The next European Parliament will have a large effect on climate policy. The choices of this group of young voters (especially any choice not to vote) will have a profound effect.
Can you think of novel ways to motivate them,by bringing the climate topic to life through demonstrating local and personal impact with a blend of data science, AI and simple communications?
CHALLENGE 3:
TOOLS FOR MICRO-PERSUASION
How might we help engaged voters leverage their trusted social networks to inspire 'disengaged' friends to participate in the European Elections?
Trying harder to activate the disengaged voters through mainstream channels and campaigns is unlikely to work. Engaged young voters may be the key to bringing their peers to the voting booths, but they might not always realise the positive impact they could have if they activated their friends, family, and the rest of their social network.
How might we give engaged voters the tools and courage to encourage people in their personal social networks to vote - such as showing them successful strategies and practical tips for communicating via less-mainstream channels likeTwitch, Discord, WhatsApp groups, Telegram channels, etc.?
EARLY IDEAS
On March 8, a group of over 30 passionate professionals and young voters generated the first 11 ideas for the hackathon. You can choose to work on one of these ideas - or to pitch your own!
IDEAS FOR CHALLENGE 1
(BREAKING DOWN PRACTICAL BARRIERS WITH AI)
MAPS 4 EU (ELECTIONS) provides a pinned map location of voting stations to reduce mental fatigue of voting and lower
psychological barrier
TELL ME is a website that answers questions in natural language and gives answers in
different formats conceived to simplify voter participation
POKEMON VOTE is a simple game for moving around on the day - you can compete only at the voting station, with local, regional national and national championships
VOTE GPT is an app/website/plug-in with info on parties progress/content, modalities; adapted to local context and language styles, it gives personalised information
IDEAS FOR CHALLENGE 2 (COMMUNICATING CLIMATE COST)
ECO VISION helps young voters visualise consequences of policy choices: impact on flora, weather, cars on streets, etc.
MAKE YOUR FIRST TIME SPECIAL is a campaign that focuses young voters to vote for climate, helping them overcome anxiety, nervousness, and insecurity linked to voting for the first time in their lives
POLICY MATCHMAKER is an AI-powered tool that matches (climate-related) individual concerns such as energy bills, food prices, etc. with ideal choices of political parties and policies
IDEAS FOR CHALLENGE 3 (TOOLS FOR MICRO-PERSUASION)
VOTERLY helps young people convince others to vote by making it very simple to identify people they want to convince, choose the channel and format, draft a message, and to share it directly
1 VOTE, 1 COFFEE rewards voting with free coffee through a collaboration with local coffee shops and international companies. Just prove you've voted, and enjoy the coffee!
LOST VOTERS RADAR uses AI to identify young voters but missed the info, and helps to target them with personalised ads
1ST VOTERS FESTIVAL is a festival open to young people who've voted: parties, concerts, sports competitions
Programme
At Hack4Votes you'll jump straight into the action! We'll start with a series of short briefings on the Challenges of the event. You'll then have a chance to pitch your idea, build your own multidisciplinary team, and then get cracking with building out your idea and testing assumptions.
You'll work with experts from different fields before exploring technological solutions. At the end, you will present your solution to an expert jury, who may support the further development of your idea beyond the hackathon.
APRIL 26, 2024
FULL CIRCLE brussels
hackathon
08:30
Welcome & Breakfast
09:00
Pitching ideas, forming teams, then hacking time. Expanding ideas, validating with experts, and getting very practical.
12:30
Lunch
13:15
Feedback from young voters, more hacking time and prepping your pitch
15:30
Pitch review with experienced storytellers
17:30
Pitch your heart out!
18:45
Winners announced, closing remarks and networking reception
19:45
Weekend!
We will contact you to confirm your participation and share more information as the event approaches.
Our partners &
participating organisations
