March 29, 2024

OnPoint: a powerful new fact-check tool on your cellphone

DES MOINES – Vote Smart is releasing OnPoint, a free mobile app that delivers key facts on current issues in the news during a seven state announcement tour. Now, for the first time, Vote Smart’s enormous database of issues, politicians and elections information, long available at votesmart.org, can be easily accessed on your smartphone or tablet so you can stay up-to-date on the actions your politicians have taken on the issues you care about.

OnPoint is the culmination of three years of design and more than two decades of research by thousands of students and volunteers who have culled through the public records and job performances of candidates and elected officials in every state. It has been funded and supported by tens of thousands of supporters and national leaders across the political spectrum who have sustained Vote Smart as the nation’s last best hope for an informed electorate in an era of political misinformation.

Users of OnPoint select from among the hottest trending political issues in the news to instantly view relevant speeches, special interest group ratings, ballot measures and legislation for candidates and officials in their area.

For example, with OnPoint, you can:

• See what your members of congress are saying about immigration, as recently as yesterday.

• View interest groups on both sides of the gun control debate and how they rate your officials/candidates.

• Find out if there are any upcoming ballot measures in your state on the environment and get a helpful summary.

• Check out the most recent vote in congress on healthcare reform, your officials’ votes and visualize the vote breakdown.

Here’s how you can get the facts on your mobile device:

• Download OnPoint from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store using the link http://bit.ly/2zmTsES

• Allow the application to access your location (this will show the facts on your politicians)

• Choose an issue

• Then select statements, ratings, measures or votes from the menu to track information on your politicians and the issues you’ve selected.