Hi, I'm Randell, and I've had enough.
My journey to developing PoliLucid has been anything but typical. I'm a U.S. Air Force veteran, I've worked in homeland security, and I've spent years on the front lines of healthcare—first as an ICU nurse at a county hospital, and now as an advanced practice nurse. Like many of you, I've voted for both Democrats and Republicans, searching for leaders who prioritize results over rhetoric.
Through all these different jobs and life experiences, one thing has consistently frustrated me: politics feels like a guessing game based on false or irrelevant information. After setting tribalism aside and measuring against outcomes for the American public, I had a difficult time thinking of a single vote I could legitimately be proud of.
In my nursing practice, I make critical decisions based on precise, real-time data. Lives depend on it. But when it comes to politics—decisions that affect millions of lives—we're expected to navigate misleading headlines, partisan spin, and information that's either completely wrong or irrelevant to actual outcomes.
When I want to know if my representative actually supports the things I care about, I have to dig through confusing government websites, parse partisan news articles, or just give up entirely. There's got to be a better way.
I built a real solution, poliLucid (CLICK HERE FOR LIVE DEMO works best on mobile device with haptics).
I don't have a computer science degree or years of app development experience. I am what you might call a fast learner. I spent months learning about large language models and AI tools, and in the process, I built a working mobile demo of poliLucid—a platform where you can see how swiping through real legislation will work and quickly figure out which politicians align with your beliefs.
I've funded every bit of development myself so far, but I need help to get poliLucid launched properly.
The Problem: Politics Shouldn't Be This Complicated
Picture this: You care about healthcare costs because you see the bills patients get. Or maybe you're worried about veterans' benefits because you served. Or you want to know where candidates stand on student loans because you're still struggling to pay yours off.
Right now, finding clear information about where politicians stand on these issues is a nightmare. Government websites are confusing. News articles are biased. Voting records are buried in legislative jargon that takes forever to decode.
Meanwhile, we can instantly see reviews for restaurants, compare prices for everything, and get answers to almost any question in seconds. But when it comes to the people making decisions that affect our lives? Good luck.
Young people, especially, have checked out of politics entirely. Can you blame them? The tools for civic engagement haven't been updated since the 1990s.
The Solution: PoliLucid Makes It Simple
I built PoliLucid to solve one basic problem: making it easy to figure out which politicians align with your interests.
Here's how it works:
- Swipe to vote on real policy issues. Bills are broken down into hundreds of yes (yay) or no (nay) questions. Swipe right for "yes" or left for "no." No legal jargon, just plain English explanations of what the bill does and who or what wants it.
- Ask questions and get straight answers. A built-in AI assistant explains political issues without the partisan spin. Want to understand a healthcare bill? Just ask.
- See where your representatives really stand in regards to your preferences. Track how they vote, see their approval ratings, rate them weekly, and send them a message.
- Participate in civil discussions with human verified users. Our platform is only available to users willing to verify they are human using a process that is easier than setting up an email account.
- Set notifications to be notified about issues that matter. Elections, important votes, and custom reminders.
The mobile application will be free to use with soft paywalls for premium features because civic engagement shouldn't be limited by your ability to pay. The demo works on mobile devices now. Just go to www.polilucid.com for a free early peak.
What I've Built So Far
After months of learning about AI tools and modern development approaches, I have a working demo with a solid backend foundation:
- The interface is clean and intuitive—you can see how the swiping will work, what the AI chat will look like, and how politician tracking will be displayed. It's a functional frontend that demonstrates the concept clearly. I've designed the user experience to be enjoyable rather than feeling like homework. People who've seen the demo say it makes politics feel approachable for the first time.
- The backend is built in the cloud with privacy as a core principle—most of your vital personal data can be stored in your browser instead of on our servers. This is essential for political technology in the new age of data privacy.
- Everything is mobile-first because that's how people want to interact with technology today.
I've built all of this with limited help from freelance designers, technical consultations, and support from friends, family, and AI assistants. What I need funding for is completing the data integration, connecting real-time political information, and scaling the infrastructure to handle widespread adoption.
Why I Need Your Help
I've built a compelling demo, but taking it from a functional concept to a live, public application requires resources that cost money. Your support will go directly to these critical launch essentials:
- Data Integration & Engineering: To connect the app to comprehensive, real-time legislative and voting record databases. This covers the final development work to make the data live and accurate.
- Legal & Compliance Review: Political technology requires rigorous legal oversight. This funds a professional review of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and compliance with election laws to protect our users and the platform.
- App Store Launch & Marketing: This covers developer fees for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, creating professional marketing materials, and running initial outreach campaigns to find the Americans who need this tool the most.
- First-Month Infrastructure Costs: To ensure our servers can handle thousands of users from day one, providing a smooth, fast, and reliable experience for everyone.
This initial funding gets us launched on mobile and proves the concept works. From there, we can scale to reach millions of Americans who are frustrated with politics as usual, with plans for a desktop platform to follow the mobile launch.
The Vision: Democracy That Actually Works for everyday Americans
Imagine if understanding politics was as easy as checking the weather app.
Imagine if young people engaged with democracy because the tools made sense to them.
Imagine if you could quickly figure out which candidates share your values instead of just voting based on party labels or TV ads.
That's what I'm building. Not because I want to get rich off of politics, but because the current method is broken and I am tired of feeling left out on decesions that affect my life.
Why This Matters Right Now
Democracy is always on the ballot. But as we face immense global uncertainty, we find ourselves at a point of no return for every soul on earth.
The decisions our representatives make in the coming years will determine not just domestic policy, but America's role in global conflicts, economic stability, and the future of democratic institutions worldwide. Yet most Americans are making these critical choices with outdated tools and incomplete information.
The 2026 midterm elections are coming up. If we can launch before primary season, we have a real chance to help Americans make more informed decisions about who represents them during these consequential times.
Right now, there's massive frustration with politics but nowhere productive to channel it. People want to be engaged; they just need tools that don't suck. We have a window to define how the next generation interacts with democracy. But only if we move fast.
What Your Support Gets You
- $25 - Early Supporter: Get access to the platform before the general launch, plus updates on our progress.
- $50 - Democracy Advocate: Early access, exclusive stickers, and your name in the app credits.
- $100 - Civic Pioneer: Everything above plus 3 months of premium features at no cost.
- $250 - Platform Builder: Early access, 6 months of premium features free, a direct communication line to me, and a special "Founding Supporter" badge.
- $500 - Democracy Champion: All previous benefits plus 1 year of premium features free and a video call to discuss the platform and future features.
- $1,000+ - Democracy Revolutionary: Lifetime premium access, advisory input on platform development, and recognition as a founding supporter of democratic technology.
The Stakes
American democracy is at a crossroads. We can keep using outdated tools that frustrate people and drive them away from civic engagement. Or we can build technology that makes participation accessible, informative, and genuinely useful.
Your support doesn't just fund an app—it proves that Americans want better ways to engage with democracy and are willing to invest in making it happen.
About the Team and Approach
This isn't a Silicon Valley startup trying to "disrupt democracy" for profit. I'm a working healthcare professional who got fed up with how hard it is to stay informed about politics. I've served in the military and dealt with government bureaucracy from multiple angles. I know what it's like to want straight answers and not be able to get them. I know what it is like to feel unheard.
poliLucid is completely nonpartisan. It doesn't tell you how to vote or promote any particular candidate or party. It just gives you better information so you can make your own decisions. You may even learn a few new things about your political prefences once you're able to see the scoreboard and remember it.
My Commitment to You
- Complete transparency: Regular updates on exactly how funds are used and what progress we're making.
- No partisan agenda: PoliLucid will never endorse candidates or push particular political views.
- Privacy protection: Your data stays yours. We will not sell your information or manipulate feeds for profit.
- Real impact: Success will be measured by actual democratic participation, not just app metrics.
Join This Movement
This isn't just about funding an app. It's about proving that America's best years are ahead of her. This is about showing the world that the Americans' are still willing to build the tools to improve the human experience.
- Every dollar helps us reach more frustrated Americans who want better civic engagement options.
- Every share helps us find people who care about democracy but don't know solutions like this are being built.
- Every supporter joins a movement to make politics accessible instead of exhausting.
Questions?
Email me. I read every message and try to respond personally. I'll post weekly updates here on our progress toward launch.
Let's Fix This Together
American democracy doesn't have to be broken. With the right tools, people will engage. With better information, citizens make better decisions.
I've built the foundation. Now I need your help to get it into the hands of Americans who are ready for politics to make sense again.
The future of civic engagement is in your hands (poliLucid Demo). Help me build it.
Organizer
