At Vote iQ, we are making it easier to share your favorite news and posts. You can easily add the free iQ Bookmarklet to your browser’s Bookmarks Toolbar so you can share links, videos, images, etc. without leaving the originating site.

A bookmarklet (button) is a tool to help with repetitive tasks. To install the iQ Bookmarklet to your browser, do the following:

1. Make sure the “Bookmarks Toolbar” is visible within your browser. Only Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer are supported by Vote iQ.
2. Follow the instructions presented to you on the iQ Bookmarklet page as instructions vary between browsers. http://www.voteiq.com/tools/bookmarklet

Once you have the iQ Bookmarklet installed, you can easily share from any website.

Connect your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr social media accounts to Vote iQ. Connecting those accounts pulls the posts, images, videos and feeds from those social sites directly into Vote iQ. Once these feeds are in Vote iQ, you determine which posts you wish to share with the members of your network. Also, you can set the privacy settings on each account to determine who can see the social feeds.

To integrate your social media accounts, do the following:

1) Select the “Edit Profile” link
2) Select the “Settings” tab
3) You can select which social media accounts you wish to connect from the Settings page.

To modify privacy settings for your social media accounts within Vote iQ, do the following:

1) Select the “Edit Profile” link
2) Select the “Settings” tab
3) Select the “Privacy” link

At Vote iQ, we recently integrated the Qwiki video service for politicians. A Qwiki is a new way to experience information with video, images, and a timeline. We have embedded a Qwiki for all the national politicians and many state politicians. To access a Qwiki video, select a politician and than select the Qwiki video button.

We have also expanded on how comments are threaded within your network. Now when you post comments in areas such as polls and hot topics, you share that comment with your network.

You can now simply save a post by selecting on the “Favorite” link at the bottom of the post.

If you want to remove a favorite, simply select the text “Unfavorite” and it will be removed from your favorites list.

To view your favorites, simply select the “Favorites” menu link next to “My Network” in the header.

If you have a feature request, let us know. Simply select the Feedback link in the footer.

Today we’re announcing integration between Vote iQ and Twitter (and vice versa).

Now, when you post on Vote iQ, you can tweet it as well, amplifying it to your followers. And, when you tweet, you can send that message to your Vote iQ connections and the global stream—from any Twitter service or tool.

This new integration enables you to easily broadcast your messages and posts to your audience of connections and followers.

How does Vote iQ work with Twitter?

This feature is now available to all of our users, and with today’s launch, we are making that two-way communication between your Vote iQ posts and tweets easy to set up.

On Vote iQ

Want to share some interesting ideas about an article you just read or a poll you have just taken with an even broader audience? Begin by joining your Vote iQ and Twitter accounts in just a few clicks.

1. Select your Vote iQ profile and “Edit My Profile.”
2. Select the “Settings” link.
3. Select “Twitter” link (see image above).
4. Select the checkbox “Associate your Twitter account with Vote iQ.”

On Twitter

Once you set up the account association using the steps above, it’s easy to share any Twitter posting on Vote iQ. Simply add a #voteiq or @voteiq to any tweet and your message will be shared with the Vote iQ community.

…a post on Twitter

…becomes a post on Vote iQ

Sign in on Vote iQ with Twitter

When setting up an account on Vote iQ, you can now use your Twitter account to sign in.

Facebook

Around the corner is deeper integration with Facebook. You can also follow (“like) Vote iQ on Facebook.

Let us know how you like the new feature integration via feedback.

Our thoughts, sympathy, and support go out to those in Japan affected by Friday’s powerful earthquake and resulting tsunami.

President Obama released a statement sending “deepest condolences” and promising support to the stricken country. The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial.”

Many organizations and funds have mobilized to provide relief to those affected by the disaster.

In response to the quake, The Red Cross has launched efforts in Japan. Visit Redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone. You can also donate directly on The American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunam.

International Medical Corps is responding to the health needs of the disaster’s victims. Nancy Aossey, President & CEO, International Medical Corps said in a statement:

“We are putting together relief teams, as well as supplies, and are in contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate our activities.”

To donate or learn about other ways you can contribute to its medical response, visit Internationalmedicalcorps.org. Also, text MED to 80888 from any mobile phone to give $10.

The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund was launched at GlobalGiving.org to garner funds that will be given to a variety of relief organizations helping victims of the earthquake. The project page explains:

“We are working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground to provide support. Our partners on the ground are working hard to provide immediate relief.”

Salvation Army personnel are organizing efforts and helping those in the severely damaged city of Sendai, Japan. To contribute to earthquake relief, text ‘JAPAN’ or ‘QUAKE’ to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.

Along with an appeal for monetary donations, Operation USA has also announced efforts to collect bulk corporate donations of health care supplies. If you are interested in donating bulk medical items, visit OpUSA.org.

Vote iQ supports the Sunlight Foundation in their quest to make government transparent and accountable. The Sunlight Foundation is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that uses the power of the Internet to catalyze greater openness and transparency. The Sunlight Foundation is committed to improving access to government information by making it available online.

Vote iQ will be promoting some of the great work that the Sunlight Foundation has provided by integrating these services into the Vote iQ platform—providing you more access to open government information.

You can also follow the Sunlight Foundation on Vote iQ.

This blog provides highlights about company updates, site features, and more. If you want to get blog updates via the Vote iQ social stream, follow this blog by selecting the Vote iQ Blog link.

As the founder of Vote iQ, I want you to know that we are exited to bring you Vote iQ. Vote iQ is the nation’s first non-partisan political network – a one-stop online resource providing you with insights, news, and forums. This revolutionary platform is modernizing the relationship between voters, politicians, and organizations. It is specifically designed to connect policymakers, voters, organizations, and causes.

Recently, we released a new update that includes polls and surveys.

Click to view

Hands down, this is the most exciting feature we’ve debuted this month or so has to be Polls. Thousands of people have already started participating, a sign of the vibrancy of the Vote iQ community. People have opinions and want to share them. It’s what democracy is all about.

Using our technology you can create a poll, email it to your friends, see the results in the form of a bar graph or a pie, and share the results with friends on Facebook.

Anybody on Vote iQ can create a poll. Anybody! So if you want to take the temperature of your friends, you can establish a poll and email them the link to find out what they’re thinking. Download the Vote iQ Polls for steps to create and publish a poll.

Every week Vote iQ runs an official poll. These are the ones that have drawn the most interest thus far:

How’s Barack Obama doing?

Should Newt Gingrich run for president?

Join the fun and take a poll or create one! Select Vote iQ Polls to be notified within your social stream news polls.

Lastly, If you have ideas on how we can improve the site, have issues, or want to provide general feedback, please send us a note using the feedback link.

Jim Tisch
President & CEO, Vote iQ