FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Courtney Davis
Assistant Director for Public Relations
Prince George’s Community College
daviscl@pgcc.edu
LARGO, Md. (November 16, 2022) – Prince George's Community College (PGCC) announced today that one of its students, Lemoni Conde, helped launch Voting Buddy, a new web app designed to assist voters in their decision-making for elections.
In Voting Buddy, users start by ranking categories of voting issues based on importance, such as foreign policy, healthcare, civil rights, and environmental issues. Voting Buddy then calculates those rankings into a personalized report that identifies the user’s political ideology. After entering their state and zip code, users can find like-minded candidates in their electoral district who share the same political beliefs. Voting Buddy currently has over 1,300 politicians in its database, and users in less than 10 minutes can complete its ranking and matching process.
The web app was created by Dr. Dwight L. Williams, Ph.D., P.E., a former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was appointed to the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Department of Political Science. “It is the analytical system that I use to pick candidates,” says Dr. Williams, mentioning that the development process took over 10 years. “I just want people to cast informed votes and feel comfortable that they’re selecting candidates that are best fits for them.”
For Ms. Conde, getting involved in Voting Buddy’s launch was an opportunity to explore one of her biggest passions. “I was inspired to become a part of the Voting Buddy team because I love politics,” says Ms. Conde, who is majoring in elementary education. “When I took a government class at Prince George’s Community College, it reignited my passion for politics and government. I was then able to get an internship related to politics which allowed me to see a new side to elections, and I realized there needed to be a change.”
Conde has played a significant role in launching Voting Buddy. She created and currently manages all of Voting Buddy’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and made an explainer video with narration for new users.
Her efforts to spread awareness of the app have been very successful—for the 2022 midterm election cycle, Voting Buddy received over 20,000 page views. The web app has also received visitors from India, the U.K., and the Netherlands, indicating to the team that people abroad are interested in learning more about American politics.
“Lemoni demonstrated her initiative and political savvy by developing the first Voting Buddy explainer video completely on her own,” says Dr. Williams. “We have relied on her to communicate all of Voting Buddy’s new features as they come online. She has been instrumental in making Voting Buddy what it is today.”
As Voting Buddy expands its online presence, Dr. Williams and Ms. Conde remain excited to share this innovative new experience with voters everywhere. “I believe Voting Buddy is the new wave of the future,” says Ms. Conde. “When Mr. Dwight told me about the concept and the vision, I knew that this would have a positive impact on the world, and I wanted to get in on the action.”
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About Prince George’s Community College
Named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security (2015-2020), Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) provides high-quality education and training for the progressive and career-oriented residents of Prince George’s County. From new high school graduates and career seekers to more seasoned professionals and senior citizens looking to enhance their skillsets, PGCC is comprised of students who represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and goals. Serving nearly 35,000 individuals annually, the College is the first choice for higher education for residents of Prince George’s County. Collaborative partnerships, responsive degree and training programs, and a commitment to student success enables PGCC to address diverse education and workforce development demands.
For more information, visit the college website at www.pgcc.edu. Prince George’s Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (267-284-5000); www.msche.org. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.