Democracy Live helps get voters connected

What: Democracy Live, Issaquah

Who: Bryan Finney, 42, president and founder

Mission: Provide candidate information to voters in elections from the school board to the Senate.

Float the vote: The service is designed to connect to the back end of municipal-election Web sites, using the graphics and style that are already in place. Voters type in their names and get to links to profiles of candidates on their ballot, including video, voice and data. Candidates have the option to tape a three-minute video rather than supplying a 300-word statement.

Employees: Four full-time, 12 contractors

Financials: The primary revenue comes from subscriptions charged to the municipalities (which often qualify for grant support). A second revenue stream comes from providing candidates with a second layer of service beyond that provided by the standard voters' guides. Finney predicts profitability in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Local rules: The company has 10 clients throughout Washington state, all small- to medium-sized counties, and is pursuing several out-of-state options. The larger ones are more complicated. When setting up the system, Finney meets with special-interest groups and examines the accessibility requirements to accommodate the specific needs of the local population. "For instance, if we were to contract with King County we would need to accommodate Chinese-speaking voters," he said.

Kids these days: Finney hopes the service will bridge the gap between youth and government, using the language of technology to make it appealing. "We want to engage younger voters by speaking their language," he said. "This may be the best way to get voters under 30 interested in the issues."

— Charles Bermant