The call of the election season

Discussion of the US presidential election is everywhere, from TV to water-cooler conversations. So you might as well embrace it on your phone, with apps to help understand the political positions of candidates and keep up on election issues. Voter is popular, and its core function is easy to grasp: It uses swipe gestures to test which way your political leanings go, and then suggests political “matches” that line up with your interests and beliefs.

This part of the app is actually fun and interesting since it poses straightforward questions — like “Legalise marijuana?” or “Build a border wall?” — that may make you confront your thoughts. You can tap on a particular issue to learn more. When you have finished tapping and swiping, you get a list of matches with information about each politician’s or party’s positions. The app has a few other features, including a political map that displays in a simple visual style where your beliefs fall on the political spectrum, and a social media link to share your thoughts on Facebook. There is also a section for updates on election news, which draws from numerous sources, including NPR and Fox. An opinion app and a news aggregator, Voter is a bit of everything, and it’s well designed, with an easy-to-use interface. It’s free on iOS and Android.

Brigade is similar to Voter, but with a social media twist. It’s designed to inspire political discussions. Like Voter, Brigade uses simple questions to gauge your opinion on different political topics, like civil rights. Given a question like, “Are more laws needed to ensure equal pay?” you choose “yes,” “no” or “unsure” with a tap. Then the app shows how many other users agree or disagree with you. After a handful of questions, Brigade tells you which candidates your feelings align with and asks you to “pledge” your vote. This is symbolic only, but the app encourages you to take to social media networks and email to encourage others to debate with you and perhaps pledge their support.

You can interact with other users in a chat-room like debate. You can even start public debates by stating an opinion or asking a question. The app, which is free on iOS and Android, provides another avenue to vent frustrations or chat with like-minded people. We the People — Election 2016 lets you discuss matters anonymously with other users nearby. You can publicly state your opinion using the app, if you choose, and a useful heat map feature allows you to see which way people around you are leaning. It’s free on iOS and Android.

For a bit of gaming relief, type “Trump,” “Clinton” or “election” into the app store search box and you’ll find many free games that feature an election motif. I like the Risk-like game called “Battleground.” This app places you in control of either the Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump campaign bandwagon in an effort to raise funds and campaign your way around the states to election victory. 

Finally, there are some great new election-themed iMessage stickers. They are variously funny or offensive, but I prefer the simple Hillary Clinton for President app. (There’s a Donald Trump for President one, too.) These free apps let you badge your iMessage chats with simple, elegantly designed stickers that feature plain text, like “I’m with her,” and attractive imagery. These are a classy way to express your opinions — no need for name-calling.