Your Code Can Wait: Election Day Is Here
Before you merge that pull request or close that long-running issue, step away from the keyboard. November 3 is the final day to cast your ballot in the US elections, and millions of developers have already done so. The outcome of these races directly shapes the software industry—government policy determines what gets built, how it is used, and who has the opportunity to build it.
GitHub has spent the lead-up to this election helping the developer community make its voice heard. The company has published guides on planning your vote, encouraged employees to volunteer as poll workers with paid time off for civic participation, and amplified the efforts of engineers like Kyle Daigle, who lent his technical skills to a local elections office. It has also spotlighted open source projects working to improve the election process itself.
Civic engagement is not a US-only concern. In a global example, GitHub partnered with the Times of India and IBM on the Lost Votes Tech Solutions Challenge, an effort to apply technology to voting challenges in India.
Beyond the Ballot Box
Once you have voted, celebrate it. GitHub has released an “I Voted” Octocat that you can embed in your profile README to inspire fellow developers. Your participation need not stop at the ballot box. Developers anywhere in the world can stay engaged by contributing to civic projects hosted on GitHub, using their skills to strengthen democracy year-round.
