Episode #239
Sway, Group Chats, and a New Way to Organize Voters
What happens when the political conversations already happening in our group chats become a way to organize? We talk with Sway founder Claire Shorall about how the platform creates voting groups around trusted relationships, helping people navigate their ballots, share recommendations, remember local elections, and see whether members of their group actually turned out to vote. We also explore Sway’s approach to privacy, the role of the “chief political correspondent” in every group chat, and what voting groups could mean for political organizing outside traditional party infrastructure. Along the way, Claire shares what Sway has learned from voting groups in Texas and what the platform is bringing to South Carolina. 00:00 Introduction 02:00 How Sway Connects Voters and Candidates 09:18 Privacy, Voter Data, and the Turnout Tool 19:13 How One Group Chat Influenced Texas Races 25:37 Get $500 to Host a Sway Ballot Party Frogmore Stew brings context, history, and political analysis to the stories shaping South Carolina. There's more stew on Substack! https://frogmorestew.substack.com/ Learn more about Frogmore Stew at https://www.frogmorestewsc.com/ On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/frogmorestewsc on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@frogmorestewsc Frogmore Stew is brought to you by The Alliance Coalition The Alliance Coalition works to redistribute power back to YOU, the voter. We do this by collecting data on belief systems, providing clear and digestible political information, history and trends, while building a community for those of us who feel politically unhoused. We encourage all to engage in shaping our state’s future and communicating our thoughts about how to do that productively. https://www.thealliancecoalition.org/
