NEW YORK, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The best way to increase voter turnout, reduce political extremism, and save democracy in America is by letting people vote from their phones, according to a new TED Talk by Bradley Tusk released today and available at https://go.ted.com/bradleytusk.
Bradley Tusk speaks at SESSION 8 at TED 2025: Humanity Reimagined. April 7-11, 2025, Vancouver, BC. Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED (PRNewsfoto/The Mobile Voting Project)
Recorded in April at TED2025 in Vancouver, Bradley Tusk’s new TED Talk argues that low voter turnout — especially in local elections and primaries — drives dysfunction across every level of government and hands power to the most partisan extremes, while leaving out the vast majority of Americans who support pragmatic, common-sense solutions on even the most hot-button issues. His solution is to make voting significantly more accessible by meeting people where they already are — on their phones.
Tusk says: On almost every major issue — from guns to providing pathways for legal immigration, health care to education, climate to taxes — most people agree on the solution…But those same people — the people in the center, the people in the middle — don’t vote in primaries.
Bradley shares lessons from twenty mobile voting pilots across seven U.S. states, which were specially aimed at helping groups that face significant barriers to the ballot box: military servicemembers overseas and voters with disabilities.
He also previews the new, open-source, end-to-end encrypted and end-to-end verifiable mobile voting technology developed by a team of cybersecurity experts that will be released later this year. This advancement will allow secure mobile voting to be used in more jurisdictions at no cost to election officials.
To conclude, Bradley urges the audience to join the fight to bring mobile voting to more voters, saying: Every major right anyone has ever won – the right to vote, the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, same sex marriage – is because enough people stood up long enough and loud enough that the status quo had to give in.
Here’s what Mobile Voting supporters are saying:
“Voting by phone has arrived as the most accessible way to participate in our democracy because of Bradley Tusk. Tusk has advanced the concept of Vote By Phone from an idea to an iphone. And it’s proven to not only be accessible but most importantly, secure. I urge everyone to listen to Bradley’s Ted Talk to learn why more jurisdictions should adopt it,” said Congressman Eric Swalwell.
“We are at a crucial point in which voter suppression persists unbated and the very nature of our democracy is in danger. Now more than ever, we are called to ensure that every American’s voice is heard and counted. As suppressive measures evolve, so must the efforts to expand voting access. There is no better way to do so than by taking advantage of modern technology. Mobile voting would chart a path for Americans of all backgrounds to vote safely, quickly, and without fear or intimidation, all in the privacy of their own home with technology that has become second nature in our lives. It would give voice to those in our democracy who for too long have felt left behind and bring them into a process that is foundational to democracy,” said Martin Luther King III, human rights activist and Chairman of the Drum Major Institute.
“A decade ago, secure mobile voting wouldn’t have been possible. But R&D work spanning half a dozen fields of computer science, mathematics, and engineering have led to a real, working system that meets the highest demands of both the elections research community and government standards. The Mobile Voting Core Cryptography Project, developed by Free & Fair, uses the same advanced tools that protect our most sensitive national security systems. By making end-to-end verifiable voting available — at no cost — to election officials for the very first time, we’re treating democracy with the same seriousness and security as our most critical infrastructure. The cryptography and engineering required to vote securely over the internet, even in the face of nation-state threats, now exists, and we are proud to work with The Mobile Voting Project as they utilize this technology to restore trust in our democracy,” said Joe Kiniry, CEO and Chief Scientist at Free & Fair.
“At Voto Latino, we’re dedicated to ensuring every eligible voter can make their voice heard—free from barriers at the ballot box. Secure mobile voting has the potential to expand access and increase turnout, especially in communities historically left out of the democratic process. We’re excited about the upcoming release of new mobile voting technology and view this TED Talk as an important step in the national conversation on the future of voting rights. We look forward to supporting the next chapter in the movement for more inclusive, accessible elections,” said María Teresa Kumar, President and Co-founder of Voto Latino.
“Our political system all too often excludes everyday Americans from participating – delivering us the extreme and dysfunctional politics that cripple our ability to serve the American people. Mobile Voting is an obvious, and arguably inevitable, idea whose time has come. Active duty military members and their families serving here and abroad deserve the full enfranchisement of voting participation that mobile voting would allow. Bradley Tusk is that rare patriot willing to envision a future that puts Americans, not politicians and political parties, at the center of our politics.” said Todd Connor, CEO and Co-Founder of Veterans for All Voters.
For more information about Bradley Tusk, visit bradleytusk.com.
CONTACT: [email protected]
SOURCE The Mobile Voting Project
