(SeeClickFix widget Oisin Ó hAlmhain's campaign website)

From the 'Hoosier State' of Indiana to the Emerald Isle of Ireland, SeeClickFix continues to appear on campaign trails across the globe.

Having grown up in South Bend, Marcus Ellison believes he should give back to the community that has given so much to him by running for the city's Common Council. As a District 4 Representative, he hopes to create an environment where anything can be made possible through 'education, community, family, and faith.'

Recently, South Bend found itself on Newsweek's list of America's Dying Cities. According to Ellison, this image of South Bend contrasts greatly with the one he remembers and wants to grow: the South Bend known for its outstanding civic engagement.

Let's stop the same old politics as usual. We need new individuals who are committed to new ideas. If we are going to build a 21st Century City, then let's stop using yesterday's materials.

This is where SeeClickFix comes into play. South Bend residents can report problems in real-time complete with specific location, image, and description of neighborhood issues. With our cost-effective online and mobile tools, Ellison believes citizens can easily communicate neighborhood issues to their city officials. Concurrently, SeeClickFix increases transparency and accountability of local government officials by broadcasting concerns on our public forum.

We have neighborhoods that are waiting for a voice. We have communities in need of leadership. We have a city pleading for change. When I look in my daughter's eyes, I know we will recover. There may be two South Bends, but I choose the South Bend that is the All-American City. I truly believe that we can get there one day. We are all in this together and we must all work together to make this vision come true. 

Thousands of miles away, one Irish resident hopes to utilize SeeClickFix as means of identifying and addressing citizens' concerns. Running for Dublin South Central of the Irish Parliament, Oisin Ó hAlmhain came across SeeClickFix after reading Jared Duval's Next Generation Democracy. With our open-source software, governments can start tracking and responding to community issues with just one click. HAlmhain emphasized how our site can also allow citizens to tackle problems themselves.

For example, it there is a littering problem, a community may spot it and organise a clean-up. The system is transparent, so you can see other people's comments, sometimes suggesting ways of sorting your problem out. 

HAlmhain even sent a letter petitioning the use of SeeClickFix to Phil Hogan, Ireland's Minister for the Environment, Community, and Local Government. We look forward to seeing how hAlmhain and Ellison continue to utilize our technology on the campaign trail!

Interested in being updated about these candidates? Follow the campaigns of Ellison and hAlmhain, respectively.