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At the height of the 2024 general election season, TurboVote Help Desk staff answered thousands of questions from American voters hoping to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
TurboVote users texted and emailed us with questions about a wide range of topics, from finding voting locations to applying for absentee ballots to registering to vote in a new state. Democracy Works experts were ready to provide them with helpful information from authoritative government sources.
In addition to our user support manager and 12 seasonal user support staff, 15 internal Democracy Works staff members volunteered on the help desk throughout Nov 4 and Election Day. These members of our research, product, communications, and engineering teams stepped up to answer questions from voters in real time. In total, user support staff and volunteers worked 300 collective hours in those two days!
By the numbers
- 49,659 help desk tickets answered in 2024
- 17,000 help desk tickets answered from Oct 1 - Nov 3
- 6,971 help desk tickets answered on Nov 4
- 1,178 help desk tickets answered on Nov 5, Election Day
- Average ticket response time: 7 minutes
What was on voters’ minds?
This year, voters had lots of questions about registering to vote after a move, voter ID requirements, checking whether their absentee ballots had been counted, and how states keep elections secure. Here are some of the other topics that came up frequently:
- Many voters were concerned that they were not registered to vote. We directed them to resources where they could check their registration, and many discovered that they actually were registered and eligible to cast a ballot.
- Many college students had last-minute questions about whether they could vote at their home address or their school address.
- Some voters wanted to know if party registration determines how they can vote in a general election (it doesn’t!)
- Folks with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, and residents of nursing homes needed information about polling place accessibility.
- Some voters weren’t sure how to explain what they needed to their election officials over the phone, so we advised them how to phrase their questions to get the answers they were looking for.
The reviews are in
We received dozens of heartfelt messages from users thanking us for our work. Many did not realize that their questions would be answered by real people rather than automated responses, and they were excited to connect with a friendly DW staff member.
We heard from voters from all walks of life, from college students to older adults, who shared how TurboVote helped them this election cycle. Here’s a sample of what they told us:
“Thank you for all the notifications! With the current state of politics, I've started voting in all elections, not just presidential. Your notifications help me stay on top of them.” – Karen in IA
“Got dozens of college students registered through you over the past couple months, and requested absentee ballots from their home states.” – Jacquelyn in CA
“TurboVote is such a terrific service to voters. Several years ago, I had moved to a new area and needed to register to vote. Luckily, a Facebook friend posted a link for your site. Best thing ever!” – Pam in TN
“Thanks to your efforts, I was able to pursue my absentee ballot in time.” – Troy in NC
“Thanks so much for your reminder. I have voted all my adult life. You've helped me keep that record intact which is especially vital since voting is so necessary to preserving democracy.” – Lorna in KS
“Thank you so much! I'm the first U.S citizen in my family and have always felt embarrassed to ask people how to vote while I'm in school. Thank you for the work you do!” – Alexandria in NY
We’re here for you
When you partner with TurboVote, you give your community members access to personalized voting assistance from our expert Help Desk team. To learn more about TurboVote’s unique voter engagement experience, visit our partner site.
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