Below is a simple explanation of some of Watch the Vote! features. Here you will find everything you will
need to quickly understand how to create your account, comment on bills, and even chat with people online. We
are always trying to improve this page when new features come out so check back regularly. Also we will have a
tutorial video online soon. If you have any questions, or their is something not answered below, please feel
free to contact us here.
Introduction
Watch the Vote! was designed to keep people up to date on legislation and the representatives that vote on them.
The primary focus of our website is to help you in your search for information regarding bills that are being proposed
(or voted on), and your state and local representatives.
This tutorial is structured to start you out with understanding
general layout of the site, and then getting you more familiar with the core functions such as user registration,
and searching for bills or representatives. If at anytime you feel you cant find what you are looking for, please
contact us and we will help you solve your issue as soon as possible.
Navigation
Watch the Vote's navigation is located in two primary spots, one at the very top(View image below), the other just below the primary
graphic on the top of the white box (When signed in as a registered user, also see below for image). The division is to seperate the pages that
are seen by guests, and those viewed by registered users. If you are a registered user and want more information on the
Registered Navigation please see this section here
The upper navigation is used for all general pages for guest and registered users a-like. These pages offer general information
and quick navigation so you can come back to the homepage for search (discussed later), or contact us regarding a issue or question.
To the right of the main navigation is our social media buttons, these let you quickly view our social media outlets
from any page you are currently on while visiting Watch the Vote.
Home Page
The home page for Watch the Vote holds a lot of information. From here you can register as a new user, sign-in as a current
user, search for bills and representatives, and navigate to other pages from the top menu. The home page uses all of these
features to help you find what you are looking for quickly and easily. In most cases when you need to start a new search
or not sure where to find something, most of the time the home page is a great place to start.
The biggest difference to the home page is when viewing it as a registered user (bottom right), or as a guest (bottom left). When viewing the home page as a guest,
you will see the welcome text, along with the quick instructions for registering with Watch the Vote. As a registered user, these
items mention previously will not be visable, and you will see your registered navigation a long with upcoming features such as
bookmarked bills that you wish to follow (More on this feature in a upcomming update!).
Registration
Registration is one of the key elements for Watch the Vote, it allows users to quickly view their senators and
representatives, comment on bills, and even chat with other Watch the Vote users. As a guest you can view and search for bills,
but for moderating comments and chat rooms, we require some general information.
To register as a new user, simply click on the new user registration button on the home page (image below).
Fill out all the appropriate information requested (be sure to fill out your location data correctly, this
helps to list your representatives correctly) and fill in the captcha and click register.
Registered Navigation
Once you are a registered user you will notice you have a new navigation on the top of the white container,
under the main watch the vote graphic (Image Below). Here you can navigate to your profile page where you can edit
your personal info and profile picture that will display when chatting with other registered users or when commenting on a bill.
You can also chat with other registered users, search for bills, view your senators and representatives,
and finally go back to the home page or sign out.
Search
Searching for bills or Senators and Representatives is one of the primary reasons for visiting Watch the Vote.
This helps people keep track of legislation and their government officials so you know what bills they are voting on and sponsoring.
To search for a bill or representative as a guest or registered user, go to the home page
and click on the "Bills" or "Senators & Representatives" button to begin your search (Image below).
For more information on each search method see Bill and Representative search below.
Search Bills
Their are thousands of bills going through Congress, so it can be very difficult to find the one/s that are relavant to you.
Our "Search Bills" engine is feed directly from GovTrack to keep up to date on the latest bills so when you need accurate
information you can pull up a bill with a few clicks.
To search for a paticular bill, or maybe a bill associated with certain keyword go to the home page and click on the "Search Bills" button.
From here you will be prompted to enter information about the bill (Image below) by Status, Title, and summary text. If you are
unsure about the bill/s you are searching for's status, select "both". For the "Title" and "Summary" search criteria try to be
as general as possible for best results, after you have entered your information click the "Search" button. Under Bill
"Search" is also a "Browse" section organized by "Topic" and "Category" if users wish to view bills in a more general organized listing.
View Bill
To view a bill simply click on any of the bill search results, or a bill from the "most popular bills" section. You
will now view a bill page, which consists of all the general information about a bill which includes Sponsor, Co-Sponsor, Introduced Date,
and Status. You will also see buttons to the right that gives you the option to select the "Bill Summary", "Full Bill", and "Bill History"
when available.
When logged in as a registered user you will also see a area to view how your vote compares to your state, and the rest of the country.
Below the vote comparison is where all comments on the current bill will be displayed. To post a comment about the bill simply fill in your comment
on the comment box and fill in the captcha and press "submit".
**Please be respectful of others and do not post slandorous or vulgar comments, they
will be removed and you can possibly have your account removed.
Search Senator or Representative
To search for a Senator or Representative navigate to the home page by click on the Watch the Vote log
at the top of the site, or the home buttons on either the top menu, or if you are a registered user, at
the top of the white container where the red home button is located. Once you are on the home page click on
the "Senators & Representatives" button to view the search form. Enter as much information as you can,
but none is required (if you enter no information you will recieve the full list of senators and represenatives),
when finished click on the "search" button to view your results.
View Senator or Representative
After making your selection from your search results, or clicking on the sponsor of a bill
you will view the senator or representatives page. Here you can view their voting history, and ideology meter
along with the bills they have sponsored, or co-sponsored.
WTV Video Tutorial
We are working hard to provide you with a quick video highlight reel of the watch the vote website.
Please check back with us soon!