Code of Conduct

1. Our Mission

This Code of Conduct defines the standards that make that mission possible. When everyone on the platform behaves with integrity and respect, communities can do the real work they came here to do.

2. Who This Applies To

This Code applies to all Votter users — members, moderators, and community administrators. It covers all activity on the platform: posts, comments, direct messages, actions, shared documents, and any other feature.

Individual communities on Votter may also establish their own guidelines that go beyond this Code. Those community-specific rules are set and enforced by the community's administrators.

3. Our Standards

We expect all users to:

• Engage respectfully — Disagree with ideas, not with people. Debate issues, not identities.
• Be honest — Represent yourself, your organization, and your information accurately.
• Contribute constructively — Participate in ways that advance your community's shared purpose.
• Respect privacy — Do not share private information about others without their consent.
• Follow the rules — Abide by this Code and any additional rules set by your community.

4. Prohibited Behavior

The following are not permitted on Votter, in any community, at any time:

Harassment and Abuse

• Targeted harassment, bullying, or sustained negative behavior toward any individual
• Personal attacks or insults
• Threats of violence or harm — direct or implied
• Doxxing: publishing someone's private personal information (address, phone number, workplace, etc.) without their consent

Hate Speech and Discrimination

• Content that attacks, demeans, or dehumanizes people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or other protected characteristics
• Slurs, dehumanizing language, or imagery targeting any group

Misinformation and Deception

• Deliberately spreading false information with the intent to deceive or manipulate
• Impersonating another person, public figure, organization, or official entity
• Making false claims about Votter's policies, rules, or capabilities

Spam and Platform Abuse

• Spam: repetitive, off-topic, or mass posting that disrupts communities
• Bot accounts or automated posting without explicit authorization from community administrators
• Scraping, harvesting, or exporting user data or content without authorization
• Commercial advertising or promotion not authorized by the community operator

Illegal and Harmful Content

• Sexually explicit content
• Content that facilitates or encourages illegal activity
• Content that violates the intellectual property rights of others
• Any content that violates applicable local, state, or federal law

5. Political Speech

Votter is built for organizing communities with shared missions. Political speech, advocacy, and debate are not just permitted — they are expected and welcomed.

We encourage open, engaging, and respectful discussion, including on controversial political topics. Sharing different perspectives, debating policy, and challenging ideas are all part of healthy community organizing.

However, the following are never acceptable, even in political discussions:

• Personal attacks on individuals
• Hate speech targeting any group
• Deliberate misinformation
• Harassment of any kind

Disagree with a position — debate it. Do not attack the person holding it.

6. Identity and Authenticity

Users are expected to use their real name as their display name. Your username (handle) may differ from your real name. Do not use your account to impersonate another individual or organization.

Individual community operators may require additional identity verification as a condition of membership in their community. This is set by the community, not Votter.

7. Moderation and Enforcement

Moderation on Votter is primarily handled by each community's administrators and moderators. They have the authority to:

• Remove content that violates this Code or their community's own guidelines
• Issue warnings or temporarily restrict member permissions
• Suspend or permanently remove members from their community

Votter does not actively moderate individual communities. However, Votter reserves the right to take action — including account suspension or termination — for severe violations of this platform-level Code of Conduct or applicable law.

8. Reporting Violations

If you see content or behavior that violates this Code, use the reporting feature within the Votter app. Reports are reviewed by your community's administrators.

For issues you believe rise to a platform-level violation (content illegal under applicable law, severe safety threats, or conduct that community admins are unable or unwilling to address), email hello@votter.org.

9. Appeals

If a moderation action was taken against you and you believe it was made in error:

1. Community-level actions (content removed, suspended from a community): Contact your community's administrators directly to appeal.
2. Platform-level actions (account suspended or terminated by Votter): Email hello@votter.org with your account information and a description of the situation. We will review appeals within a reasonable timeframe.

Submitting an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement. We consider all appeals in good faith.

10. Platform Liability

Votter provides a platform for communities to communicate and organize. We want to be clear about our role:

• Votter is not responsible for content posted by users or community operators.
• Votter does not endorse any political views, candidates, positions, or organizations represented on the platform.
• Votter does not verify the accuracy of information posted by users or community operators.

Users and community operators are responsible for the content they create and the communities they run.

11. Changes to This Code

We may update this Code of Conduct as the platform evolves. Significant changes will be communicated through the app. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects when this document was last revised.

12. Contact

Questions about this Code of Conduct or a specific situation not covered here: