**We didn't show it in the video, but it does actually give directions when you click on the pin.
Inspiration
Honestly, we were inspired by the fact that when you search up "polling places near me" on Google the best you get are lists! No convenient location like how you would find with your local Mcdonald's or GameStop. Wouldn't it be great to get that info in seconds?
What it does
You open up the app, and immediately you're met with the closest polling locations to you. The search bar is there as a convenience and you can search for any city, zip code, or even street. If there is a polling center(s) there, it'll mark it! Click on the mark will even prompt you to automatically enter the location into Google maps, instantly telling you how to get there.
How we built it
We built it in Android Studio using Java and the Google Maps API to create a locator that gets its data from a database of all the polling locations in NC.
What we're proud of
Everything! This was our first Hackathon and first app and we're happy we learned a ton.
What we learned and the problems we faced
One of the biggest problems we faced was not having references to files work programmatically. This meant that our database had to be added manually. It wasn't too much of a problem as the data isn't exactly changing during elections. That's the thing though— sometimes you have to compromise on quality to meet deadlines or requirements. You can always come back later and iterate on what you already have. Your program will end up being better in the end. We learned a ton about familiarizing ourselves with an API/framework too, something that we thought would be pretty useful going into future projects.
What's next for Voting Buddy
One thing that is definitely needed for Voting Buddy is a refurbishing of the UI. Although the map layout is the screen that's going to be used the most, a few menus for customization or candidate info would do the program well. Notifications would be awesome, letting the user know when elections are coming up, giving them a reason to come back to the app. Lastly and most importantly, the program doesn't actually locate the user at the moment. We weren't too worried about implementing this as it can be implemented quite easily as we created all the framework to get it up and running. Once it is implemented it's good to know that it'll work straight out the box. (Currently the location is bound to voting places near a random library).
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