Actual Vote for Everyone

You don’t need special qualifications, training, or political connections to help audit vote reporting in the United States. You just need a smartphone and a willingness to show up.

What you’d be doing

With the free Actual Vote app, you video-record poll tapes — the paper strips printed by voting machines that show the vote totals at each polling place. America Counts then compares those totals to the officially reported results to check whether vote reporting was done accurately.

That’s it. You record. We analyze. The findings are published publicly for everyone to see.

Why it matters

Vote reporting in the US is vulnerable to error and fraud. Most of the time, things go right. But without independent verification, there’s no way to know for sure — and when things do go wrong, it often goes undetected.

Every poll tape you record adds to a growing body of independent evidence about election accuracy. When your recording confirms the official results, that’s a meaningful contribution to public confidence. And if it ever reveals a problem, you’ve helped catch something that would otherwise have been invisible.

What it takes

Time: 1–3 hours on election night for most people, though other methods can be done on your own schedule.

Cost: Nothing. The app is free.

Skills: None required. If you can point a phone camera at a piece of paper, you can do this.

Device: Almost any reasonably current smartphone. Actual Vote runs on any iPhone or iPad on iOS 15 or later, or any Android phone or tablet on 8.0 or later — roughly any phone sold since 2017. See device requirements for details.

Risk: Low. Most recording happens in public spaces during or after normal polling hours. America Counts has safety guidance to help you plan.

Political affiliation: Irrelevant. Actual Vote is non-partisan by design — it produces honest evidence regardless of who uses it. Partisans of all stripes and non-partisans alike are welcome.

Common questions

“Will my recordings actually get used?” Yes. America Counts analyzes as many recordings as possible before the election certification deadline, prioritizing close races. All recordings are archived publicly at av.democracycounts.org and remain available for anyone to analyze — including you.

“Will it work on my phone?” Almost certainly. Actual Vote runs on any iPhone or iPad on iOS 15 or later, and any Android phone or tablet on 8.0 or later — roughly any phone sold since 2017. All you need beyond that is a working camera. If your device is too old, you can still take part using your phone’s built-in camera app; see Get the App.

“What if I find out the results are wrong?” That’s exactly the kind of thing Actual Vote is built to catch. America Counts investigates discrepancies carefully, works with election administrators to find explanations, and publishes findings transparently. If a discrepancy can’t be explained, the recordings can serve as evidence in a legal challenge. Read more about what happens after you record.

“What if I’m worried about being hassled at a polling place?” Recording poll tapes from public areas is legal, and most volunteers report no issues. But we understand the concern, and we have practical safety tips including going with a partner, planning your route in advance, and knowing what to say if someone asks what you’re doing.

“Is this a left-wing thing or a right-wing thing?” Neither. America Counts is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan organization. The Actual Vote system is structurally resistant to partisan abuse — even if someone uses it with purely partisan motivations, the most they can produce is honest evidence about what the vote reporting actually was. We actively encourage people across the political spectrum to participate, because broader participation makes the findings more credible.

“I have strong political views. Am I still welcome?” Absolutely — and we mean that warmly. You don’t need to be a centrist or a “both sides” person to use Actual Vote. Many of our most motivated volunteers care deeply about specific candidates and outcomes. That’s fine. In fact, it’s an asset: if you’re passionate about your candidate winning, you have every reason to verify that the vote reporting in your area was done correctly.

The key insight is that no matter how strong your partisan convictions, Actual Vote can only produce honest evidence about what the votes actually were. If you go out hoping to find that your candidate was cheated, and the evidence shows accurate reporting instead, that’s still a win — you’ve confirmed a fair process. And if the evidence shows a problem, it’ll be there regardless of your motivation for looking.

What we do ask is that when you represent your Actual Vote participation to others, you frame it as what it is: non-partisan work for election transparency. Not as ammunition for your side. More on this in our Non-Partisan Election Advocacy page.

Ready to start?

Our Start Here guide walks you through everything: how the system works, why it matters, how to make a plan, and what happens with your recordings.

Or if you’re ready to jump in: get the Actual Vote app and contact us so we can help you make a plan for the next election.