---
title: NewVote
type: platform
status: active
country: AU
website: https://newvote.org
logo: /assets/org-logos/newvote.webp
contact:
  checked: 2026-07-30
  email: hello@newvote.org
  form: https://newvote.org/contact
  source: https://newvote.org/contactus
summary: An Australian civic technology institute combining direct, deliberative,
  and representative democracy — empowering people on specific issues and surfacing
  the informed 'will of the people' to elected governments.
concepts:
- direct-democracy
- liquid-democracy
- e-government
location:
  latitude: -27.4698
  longitude: 153.0251
  name: Brisbane, Australia
rss_feed: https://newvote.org/blog/rss.xml
events:
- date: '2016-11-10'
  title: Established as a not-for-profit / for-purpose organisation in Australia
  url: https://newvote.org/the-institute
  quote: NewVote is founded as a for-purpose (a not-for-profit), Australia.
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
- date: '2017-11-01'
  title: Hosted the inaugural Australian Digital Democracy Forum in Melbourne
  url: https://newvote.org/the-institute
  proof_level: medium
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: false
  proof_warning: true
- date: '2019-07-24'
  title: NewVote platform publicly launched
  url: https://newvote.org/the-institute
  quote: The University of Queensland Student Union is piloting and promoting the
    app with its 52,000 students, starting on 24 July 2019.
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
activity:
  manual:
    checked: 2026-06-07
    date: 2020-05-16
    note: website loaded. But social media is last noted in twitter May 16, 2020 https://x.com/newvote/status/1261440493004615681
      . So uncertain on newvote status
    url: https://x.com/newvote/status/1261440493004615681
  dod:
    checked: 2026-07-19
    date: 2026-07-19
    note: Website live, confirmed active civic-tech institute. Content largely references
      2018-2019 activity (UQ Student Voice pilot); no evidence of shutdown.
    url: https://newvote.org
  rss:
    checked: 2026-08-17
    date: 2019-11-11
    note: 'Latest post: How''s SpeakUp @ the University of Queensland going?'
    url: https://newvote.org/blog/2019/11/10/hows-speakup-the-university-of-queensland-going
last_checked: '2026-07-19'
---

NewVote is built on a simple philosophy: the world is better when everyone is empowered. The institute uses technology to operate across three democratic modes simultaneously:

- **Direct democracy** — empowering citizens to engage directly on specific issues rather than waiting for elections
- **Deliberative democracy** — uncovering the *informed* will of the people, not just raw opinion
- **Representative democracy** — presenting those informed perspectives to elected governments as a structured input

Rather than replacing existing democratic institutions, NewVote positions itself as a nudge — a layer of structured civic engagement that connects ordinary people to the decisions that affect them, and makes those preferences visible to the people making the decisions.

## Links

- Website: [newvote.org](https://newvote.org)

## See also

- [Direct Democracy](../concepts/direct-democracy.md)
- [Liquid Democracy](../concepts/liquid-democracy.md)
- [E-Government](../concepts/e-government.md)
- [MiVote](mivote.md)