Video for verification page

[dsernst]

A lot of people are not verifying. It's a big hindrance to being able to show growth.

There's a massively noticeable discrepancy between people who I've talked to in person, who seem to verify nearly 100% of the time, vs other people, who verify around 20-40%.

If they write in and ask, they often come to understand why it's necessary, and then verify.

I think a video — something easy to watch, explaining what's going on, and putting a human face behind it — could go a long way.

Here's a first draft script:

Hi, my name's David, I'm the founder of United.vote.

A lot of people ask about our verification, so I wanted to make this short video to explain.

This one dollar verification charge doesn't just keep United sustainably funded, it creates the foundation for a trustworthy online space.

We ask for name & address, and check against registered voter rolls, but this isn't enough. Unfortunately, it would be too easy to impersonate someone else, and create multiple accounts.

That's what this charge prevents. Using a valid debit or credit card, in your name, with a confirmed billing address, gives much stronger proof that people really are who they say they are.

We're working on other ways to verify, but they aren't cheap, and we're a small independent organization with very limited resources.

We've tried to keep this as affordable for everyone as possible.

The other great thing about it is that it means United's sustainability comes directly from voters, instead of advertisers or special interests.

You don't have to verify right now. You can still vote on issues, and we'll still automatically send your comments to your elected reps for free.

But we can't count votes towards your legislators' Scorecards until you verify.

As more people verify, it will increase the numbers powering the Liquid Scorecards, become more meaningful, demonstrate more interest, and bring us that much closer to a healthier democracy.

We can't do this alone.

Thanks for listening.

Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions.

[dsernst]

Got a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzEJfbuiVBM

[dsernst]

We need a higher production quality video.

[dsernst]

We still need a higher quality video — but this is a good opportunity to reinforce the story to them, remind them what United is all about.