Terms of Service

These terms are an agreement between you and Votaran (“Votaran,” “we,” “us”) for using votaran.com. By creating an account or using Votaran, you agree to these terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you don't agree, please don't use Votaran.

1. The beta

Votaran is in a private beta. Access is by invitation, features may change or be removed, and the service may sometimes be unavailable or contain errors. We may end the beta or change who has access at any time.

2. Who can use Votaran

• You must be at least 13. Under 18, you need a parent or guardian's permission.
• Use your real name and accurate information, and keep only one account.
• Official and candidate accounts are for the official or candidate themselves, or for staff they've authorized to post on their behalf.

3. Your account

Keep your password secure and tell us if you think someone else has accessed your account. You're responsible for activity on your account.

Official and candidate accounts must pass verification before they can post. We decide whether to approve, deny, or revoke verification based on the documents provided and any other information available to us. A verified badge confirms identity and office or candidacy. It is not an endorsement.

4. Your content

You own what you post and send on Votaran. You give Votaran a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, and distribute that content as needed to run and promote the service. For example, we show an official's posts to their followers and to residents of their jurisdiction. This license ends when you delete the content, except for copies others have already shared or that we must keep by law.

Posts, comments, endorsements, and reposts by officials and candidates are public to Votaran users. Messages you send to an official are private between you and that official, but may be subject to public records laws (see below).

5. Rules for everyone

Don't use Votaran to:

• Impersonate anyone, or misrepresent your office, candidacy, or affiliation.
• Harass, threaten, or intimidate anyone, or encourage violence.
• Attack people based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or national origin.
• Post false information about how, when, or where to vote, or about eligibility to vote.
• Share someone else's private information, such as a home address or phone number, without permission.
• Post anything illegal, or anything you don't have the right to share.
• Send spam, or buy, sell, or transfer accounts.
• Scrape the site, access it with bots or automated tools, or try to get around security or access limits.

Disagreement is welcome. Votaran is nonpartisan, and we don't remove content because of the political views it expresses.

6. Extra responsibilities for officials and candidates

• You're responsible for following the laws that apply to you, including election, campaign finance, political advertising disclaimer, ethics, and public records laws.
• Messages you receive on Votaran may be public records (for example, under Florida's Chapter 119). You're responsible for keeping and providing them as the law requires.
• Use constituent information you see on Votaran only to serve your constituents, not to harass or retaliate against anyone.

7. Unclaimed profiles

Votaran creates basic profiles for some sitting officials from public records, so residents can follow them before they join. These are labeled “unclaimed,” list their sources, can't post, and can't receive messages. They aren't run by the official and aren't endorsements. An official can claim theirs by signing up and passing verification; when they do, the profile and its followers become theirs. Officials can also ask us to correct or remove an unclaimed profile at mpeakes@votaran.com.

8. Reports and enforcement

You can report posts, comments, and accounts. We review reports and may remove content, revoke verification, or suspend or close accounts that break these terms. Where we can, we'll tell you what happened and why. If you think we made a mistake, email mpeakes@votaran.com.

9. Paid plans

Votaran is free for residents. Paid plans for officials are billed through Stripe at the price shown when you subscribe, monthly or yearly.

• Free trial.Your first plan starts with a 90-day free trial. You add a payment method when you choose a plan, and it isn't charged until the trial ends.
• Automatic renewal. When the trial ends, your plan renews automatically each month or year at the price shown when you subscribed, until you cancel.
• Cancelling.Cancel anytime from Subscription, then Manage billing. Cancel before the trial ends and you won't be charged. After that, cancelling stops future charges and your plan stays active until the end of the period you paid for.

If we change a plan's price, we'll tell you before it applies to you.

10. Election and public information

Information about elections, ballots, districts, and representatives comes from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always confirm important details, such as your polling place or voting deadlines, with your official election office.

11. Disclaimers

Votaran is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, to the extent the law allows. We don't endorse, and aren't responsible for, what officials, candidates, or other users post or say.

12. Limitation of liability

To the extent the law allows, Votaran isn't liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost data or profits, arising from your use of Votaran. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the greater of the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or $100.

13. Indemnity

If someone brings a claim against Votaran because of content you posted or because you broke these terms or the law, you agree to cover Votaran's reasonable costs of defending it, to the extent the law allows.

14. Ending your use

You can stop using Votaran at any time and delete your account, or just your resident or official profile, from your profile page. You can also email mpeakes@votaran.com. We may suspend or end your access if you break these terms, or if we end the beta or the service.

15. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. If we make a significant change, we'll tell you by email or in the app before it takes effect. Continuing to use Votaran after that means you accept the updated terms.

16. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida. Any dispute will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

17. Contact

Questions about these terms: mpeakes@votaran.com.