Custom Technical Projects

Build your capacity for better elections

Limited resources and tight budgets shouldn't limit your ability to serve voters effectively. USDR expands your office's capacity through additional design, tech, and data expertise — helping you deliver practical, custom solutions that address your specific challenges.

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We make election administrators’ jobs easier.

Tell us an idea you have or a problem you need help with. Our team will put together a simple, customized solution to address your needs. Then, we’ll assemble a team of volunteers from high-caliber tech companies to work on your project. Your project will be completed in a few months, if not a few weeks.

Successful projects across the country

Since 2020, we've worked with election offices to create practical tools that make officials' lives easier. Some examples:

Voting Location Wait Time Tracker

Created at Orange County, North Carolina’s request to provide voters with real-time wait data. Now available on Airtable Universe for free.

Ballot Box Optimization Project

Optimized the placement of 5 new ballot boxes in Snohomish County, WA, so that 90% of voters had a ballot box within 10 minutes, a ten percentage point increase from previously.

Signature Verification Research

Research potential alternatives to signature voter authentication on King County, WA, mailed-in ballots.

“Wow! Flexibility at its best. That’s the advantage of working with a Collaborative such as USDR, where they draw from experts from all over the country to bring each customer a personalized product and experience. I’m extremely pleased that I joined the USDR collaborative.”

Allen P. Tempert

Elections Director Mohave County, AZ

“During an incredibly hectic time in election administration, it is helpful to have a partner like USDR who can bring additional capacity to election offices that are stretched to the limit.”

Eric Fey

St. Louis County, MO

Why election offices are working with USDR

*Free or Affordable

Our services are free where legally allowed. We offer affordable pricing tailored to your budget if you cannot accept free services. Ask your jurisdiction’s legal counsel about any local laws that might apply.

Rapid Delivery

We get you the tools or technical analysis you need at the speed of need. That means projects are delivered in months if not weeks.

Technical Expertise

Our 11,000+ technical volunteers contribute their skills for free. They are developers, designers, and data scientists from leading tech companies. We vet all volunteers to ensure they have the required skills.

Custom to Your Office

It’s your idea, and we want to bring it to life. If it’s a project we haven’t done before, we’ll work with you to create the best solution for your office.

Easy to Use Solutions

We've built tools used by election offices, big and small, across the country. Our tools are designed for simplicity and sustainability based on feedback from officials like you.

How to get started

New tools can be ready in weeks or months. We move quickly while prioritizing quality. Here’s how our process works:

Step 1

Discuss your needs in an intake call.

Step 2

Create a plan tailored to your office.

Step 3

Onboard technical expert volunteers for the project.

Step 4

Build the tools or complete the technical project.

Step 5

Set your office up for success via training or documentation.

What we can do

Automate processes to save time and reduce errors

Create a digital chain of custody to maintain integrity

Visualize registration and results

Conduct equity-focused voter research

Enhance your website’s usability

Build other custom solutions

Can't use free services in your location?

U.S. Digital Response is a non-profit that relies on philanthropic funding and volunteer technical experts to provide free services to under-resourced election offices in need. We serve all election officials equally, regardless of political affiliation.