Our mission

We’re reinventing politics, from the bottom-up

Have you ever gone to vote, only to realize that you don't know half of the elections on your ballot? We've all been there—it takes hours to be prepared for these elections. But even if we haven't heard of them, these smaller offices have a huge impact on our daily lives and our communities.We believe that getting informed for these elections should be easy and convenient, so we created Branch–a free, nonpartisan website that walks you through the elections and candidates in your area. We break down who the candidates are, what they believe, and why it matters, so you can quickly and confidently vote for who aligns with your values.

Our history

Big impact in a short time

In just a few years, we've helped voters, candidates, and civic engagement organizations approach elections in a new way.

May 2020

Branch is founded in Atlanta, Georgia and interviews over 100 candidates running for federal, state, and local office in the 2020 June elections.

CANDIDATES WE’VE INTERVIEWED

June 2020

Branch’s launch is very successful, with over 17,000 voters using the free website to make informed votes for Georgia’s June Primary election.

READ OUR PRESS RELEASE

August 2020

Branch successfully concludes a Kickstarter campaign, raising over $25,000 from 350 voters.

SEE OUR KICKSTARTER

November 2020

Branch partners with 7 civic engagement organizations to expand outreach. Over 30,000 voters turn to Branch during the 2020 election cycle.

LISTEN TO NPR INTERVIEW

January 2021

Branch expands beyond elections with the launch of The Session, a daily email newsletter to keep voters informed about the 2021 Georgia legislative session.

READ THE SESSION: WRAPPED

November 2021

Branch expands to 27 cities around Atlanta for the 2021 municipal elections and helps look up over 11,000 ballots, roughly 10% of the number of people that voted in Atlanta.

CATCH OUR FEATURE IN ATLANTA MAGAZINE

How we do it

We combine the best of tech and political research to modernize elections

Our promises

We're committed to
doing things the right way

Nonpartisan Promise

Our goal is to inform your vote and never to influence it. We treat each candidate with fairness by asking the same, straightforward questions about their platforms. The difference shows: in 2020, 30% of Branch users voted across party-lines, which is 3 times the national average.

Journalistic Integrity

Branch is structured to separate all election research from any sources of money. This insures candidates and organizations do not influence Branch's candidate research.

Data Privacy Promise

Branch will never sell or share your personal information with anyone. Period. Read our full privacy policy here.

The Branch team

WALTER LEY

Founder & CEO

Walter is passionate about using technology to make the world a better place. For years, Walter worked as a software engineer and product manager in the financial technology industry, before quitting his job to start Branch. He now uses this technical background to make it as easy as possible for voters to get informed about important local elections. Walter graduated from Georgia Tech, with a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Business.

BUKET URGEN

Director of Research Operations

Buket has always gravitated toward work with a real purpose. She discovered her love of civic research while interning at the Georgia State Capitol as a college student. Now, she channels that curiosity into making democracy more accessible for everyone at Branch.

MATTHEW TOMAS

Senior Researcher

Matthew played poker professionally for over a decade before deciding he wanted his work to actually matter. He lives in Hartford, CT, where he spends a lot of time thinking about data, animals, and why nobody knows who their city councilperson is. At Branch, he's working on it.

ANANYA PANDA

Partner Impact Lead

Ananya is a mission-driven technology and strategy leader with 10+ years of experience building power for social justice causes and organizations. Inspired to empower state and national partners with actionable insights, she turns complex data into winning advocacy and organizing campaigns. Ananya is deeply committed to building a more equitable democracy through making data and technology more accessible and inclusive.