What We Do

Your Government At Your Fingertips.

Plugin Democracy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to revolutionizing the way communities engage in democratic processes. Recognized as a public charity under section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the Internal Revenue Code, we are committed to making governance accessible, transparent, and responsive to the needs of all citizens.

The Problem We Solve

In today's democratic systems, citizens are legally empowered to participate in governance and shape the decisions that affect their communities. However, the reality is far less straightforward. The existing methods of participation—such as attending meetings, submitting proposals, or voting in person—are often too time-consuming, cumbersome, and inaccessible for the average person’s schedule. This complexity creates barriers that prevent many from engaging in the democratic process.

Plugin Democracy provides a user-friendly platform where communities can manage their governance. Citizens of a community can validate other citizens through a custom verification method that fits that community’s needs, create proposals, vote on proposals, e-sign petitions where the e-signature follows federal guidelines and as such are legally bounding, collaborate with other citizens and more. All of this allows the citizens to take control of their community.

Our Approach

We have the ambitious goal of supercharging the democratic process in the US. Our strategy, however, is a bottom-up approach: we are starting with the smallest community unit possible: Homeowner Associations. As we mature our software, our application will be able to serve bigger communities; perhaps towns, counties, and more one day.

Why HOAs first?

Homeowner Associations (HOAs) are the perfect starting point for Plugin Democracy. When developing software that touches every aspect of governance, it’s crucial to ensure everything works seamlessly before scaling up to larger entities. HOAs offer a manageable and meaningful way to test and refine our platform. Here’s why:

  • Addressing a Clear Need: HOAs face a significant challenge—getting hundreds of individuals to attend a physical meeting simultaneously to pass petitions is often impractical. Plugin Democracy application solves this issue. Members can e-sign petitions and vote on proposals directly from their phones, making the process much more efficient and accessible.

  • A Microcosm of Larger Government: HOAs are essentially smaller-scale versions of larger government entities, making them an ideal testing ground. They manage monthly dues similar to taxes, oversee publicly owned funds and assets, have boards akin to congress, and operate under bylaws that function like a constitution. As we better learn how to successfully serve HOAs, we lay the foundation for expanding to larger communities.

The Software

Seamless, Secure, and User-Friendly

Plugin Democracy is more than just a platform—it’s a comprehensive tool designed to make governance simple, secure, and accessible for everyone. Our software is built with the needs of communities in mind, ensuring that every citizen can easily engage in the democratic process, whether it’s proposing ideas, voting on important issues, or managing community affairs.

Key Features

  1. Community Verification: Community’s benefit from a robust citizen verification on the Plugin Democracy platform. We understand that trust is essential in any democratic process. Plugin Democracy allows communities to enforce their own verification processes to ensure that each account truly belongs to a given citizen. Communities can tailor their verification methods to their specific needs, whether it’s requiring a selfie with an official ID, submitting additional documents, or other methods. This ensures that e-signatures are not only secure but also confidently linked to the correct individual.

  2. E-Voting: Cast your vote on proposals from anywhere, at any time, using your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Our secure e-voting system follows federal guidelines to ensure compliance with legal standards, and every e-signature is legally binding. This means your vote is not only secure but also carries the same legal weight as a traditional signature. This, paired with the robust verification process provides a solid trust foundation for a community to operate on the platform.

  3. Proposal & Petition Management: Easily create, submit, and track proposals or petitions within your community. Our intuitive interface makes it simple for anyone to propose new ideas and see them through to a vote. Residents of a community can make their own proposals and petitions, or multiple residents can collaborate together to create a proposal or petition. When multiple authors collaborate, a petition is only published if all authors agree to publish it to the community.

  4. Transparency and Accountability: Keep your community’s decision-making process open and transparent. Our software provides real-time updates, audit trails, and public records to ensure that every action is accountable and visible to all members.

  5. Adapts to your Needs: In some states, board members of a HOA can’t provide an e-signature for a petition. However, that is not a problem. Residents can still e-sign a petition and the petition document can be printed so that board members can sign it physically. The generated physical document includes QR codes that direct to the e-signatures and other verification data.

  6. User-Friendly Interface: We’ve designed our platform to be intuitive and easy to use, regardless of your level of tech-savviness. Navigation is straightforward, and all essential features are just a few clicks away.

  7. Security and Privacy: Protecting your data is our top priority. Plugin Democracy employs state-of-the-art encryption and security protocols to safeguard personal information and ensure that all transactions are secure.

Built for Growth

Our software is designed to scale alongside your community. Whether you’re a small HOA or a larger municipal entity, Plugin Democracy adapts to your needs, offering robust features that grow with you. As we expand to serve larger communities, we’ll continue to refine and enhance our platform to meet the evolving demands of governance in the digital age.

A Future-Proof Solution

We’re constantly innovating to stay ahead of the curve. Our development team is dedicated to integrating the latest technologies and best practices, ensuring that Plugin Democracy remains a cutting-edge tool for community governance. With regular updates and new features, our software is built to meet the needs of today while being ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

What We’ve Achieved

  • User Growth: Attracted and onboarded Homeowner Association (HOA), demonstrating the effectiveness of our platform in streamlining community governance.

  • Platform Development: Successfully built and launched the Plugin Democracy Web App that can be used by HOAs. Implemented a secure, legally binding e-signature feature, compliant with federal guidelines

  • Nonprofit Recognition: Achieved 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit organization, officially registered in California, ensuring transparency, credibility, and tax-deductible contributions for donors.